Former Premier League referee Howard Webb has said he was never told to lie on a match report following recent allegations by Mark Halsey.
Halsey revealed on social media this past weekend that he had been pressured by Professional Game Match Officials Limited to say he hadn’t seen an incident on the field in 2011 when he felt he had, in order for a suspension to be sanctioned.
The PGMOL have categorically denied the statements made by Halsey.
The claims by the 55-year-old has put the standard of professional refereeing in the Premier League under the spotlight but Webb, who served as a top flight official for 11 years, has said he was never told to change anything on his match reports.
The former World Cup final referee has told of a similar incident he was involved in and admits it is difficult for officials to confess they have made mistakes.
And while Webb wants to see further technology incorporated to help officials, he doesn’t want referees on the pitch to have their position threatened by video help.
Webb, who was appointed to the PGMOL board as a technical director in 2014 but left a year later, said to the Times: “The first thing to be clear about is I can say, categorically, that I never came under pressure from the referees’ body to say I had not seen something I had during my refereeing career.
“Halsey’s allegation is a significant one.
“Manchester City seemed to argue last week that Marriner had seen Agüero’s clash with Reid, and therefore it should not be re-refereed.
“I had a similar experience four years ago when Mario Balotelli stamped on Scott Parker during a match I was refereeing. I saw the players come together for a tackle, but I missed the stamp.
“When the FA asked me after the game, I said I had missed it, and action was taken. Balotelli’s agent accused me of lying, saying I had seen the incident but did not want to admit I had made a mistake by not awarding a red card.
“The agent was not saying Balotelli was innocent — quite the opposite, in fact — but he was trying to get him off on a technicality. This seems to be what happened with Marriner and City last week.
“That is why, when the FA asks a referee “did you see an incident?” it puts you in a difficult position, because you are essentially being asked to admit if you have made a mistake.
“When the idea of retrospective action was first brought in, it was supposed to be for incidents way off the ball, which no official could possibly have seen, but that is no longer the case. Now Fifa’s position is changing and trials of video technology are taking place.
“Of course we should welcome anything which helps to get decisions right, but we have to be careful. If all decisions can be reviewed by video, referees on the pitch become nothing more than remote-controlled referees.”
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has called for a full investigation into Halsey’s claims.
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