StanBalaban Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has made the stunning claim that he was told by his superiors to say he had not seen controversial incidents in matches. Halsey suggested during a Twitter conversation on Friday that Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) - the governing body for elite referees in England - instructed him to claim he hadn't seen flashpoints when he clearly had. It follows the debate over Sergio Aguero's elbow on Winston Reid during Manchester City's win over West Ham last weekend, which has led to the Argentine being handed a three-match suspension. City had appealed the ban because they refused to believe referee Andre Marriner's assertion that he had not seen the incident, which occurred in the 76th minute of City's 3-1 home win. A review of video footage suggested Marriner had an unobstructed view of Aguero's tussle with Reid and could have made a call. City claim that Marriner saw the incident and did not deem it a bookable offence and so no further action should have been taken afterwards. Instead, Aguero was charged with violent conduct following a retrospective review of the incident and received a ban that will keep him out of the Manchester derby with United on September 10. But Halsey's comments have deepened the controversy and appear to indicate that top level officials have long been told by PGMOL to claim they didn't see moments of controversy. Replying to another user, he tweeted: 'I have been in that situation when I have seen an incident and been told to say I haven't seen it.' In a later reply, he said: 'To be fair to the FA... it's not them. It comes from within the PGMOL.' The comments were seized upon by the former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, who tweeted: 'Mark, I'd like to know who told you to say that! '@FA and @Premierleague think you have a major issue on your hands.' PGMOL was founded in 2001 with the aim of improving refereeing standards and receives funding from the Premier League, English Football League and the Football Association. They are responsible for the 18 full-time professional Select Group referees that take charge of Premier League fixtures. Sportsmail has contacted PGMOL and Mark Halsey for a comment. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3772116/Mark-Halsey-claims-Premier-League-referees-governing-body-told-claim-hadn-t-seen-controversial-incidents-matches.html#ixzz4JBvRPpRF Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Just makes me think of that Vidic tackle, and the lack of a red card, in the cup final on Gabby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisVillan Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 I never trusted that shitehawk to get anything right either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichfield Dean Posted September 3, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted September 3, 2016 This could be very interesting if more information emerges. Bet it gets swept under the carpet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Swerbs Posted September 3, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted September 3, 2016 So one might call him a... whistleblower? 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 1 hour ago, ChrisVillan said: I never trusted that shitehawk to get anything right either. Indeed Halsey decisions v us..... SHA 2003 Derby...gets a lot of stick for this but in fairness it was a ridiculous hostile night which was always going to boil over on the pitch, both our reds were correct. Just missed Dugarry spitting. Arsenal 2004,,,,that quick Henry free kick. Ridiculous especially as he was amongst the Arsenal players when he suddenly decided to let them take it quickly. Man. United 2012- Young conning him. Southampton 2013- Rodriguez diving in air and getting penalty. It amuses me as he admitted these errors in his book and just said matter of factly Villa were the opposition on consecutive pages. Anything else I've missed out on. Not a decision but I remember that Carling cup game in 2006 at Chelsea where we took 6k and some idiot threw a bottle on the pitch....he made a big song and dance about taking it right infront of the Villa fans. Bloke didn't like us for whatever reason. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Hasn't Halsey admitted somewhere that savage racially abused Dion before the head butt even if Dion refuses to say it? There's every danger I was drunk when I got told that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 First I've heard of that...I always remember Dion saying to the camera as he walked off that Savage was a "cheat" but it all got swept under the carpet soon after. Regardless Dion was on a yellow so he was getting sent off for the lunge and then he headbutted Savage for good measure! What a mental night that was, never seen Villa Park in such a rage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 I always hated Mark Halsey as a referee, he always seemed so smug even more than Phil Dowd as for that Dublin red card he should have been knighted for doing what we all wanted to happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Davkaus Posted September 3, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted September 3, 2016 Honestly, the rules need to change. Refs are only human. If a ref sees something but drops a clanger, it's absolutely absurd that they can't say after the fact that they made a mistake and have the correct action taken retrospectively. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One For The Road Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 5 hours ago, VillaChris said: Indeed Halsey decisions v us..... SHA 2003 Derby...gets a lot of stick for this but in fairness it was a ridiculous hostile night which was always going to boil over on the pitch, both our reds were correct. Just missed Dugarry spitting. Arsenal 2004,,,,that quick Henry free kick. Ridiculous especially as he was amongst the Arsenal players when he suddenly decided to let them take it quickly. Man. United 2012- Young conning him. Southampton 2013- Rodriguez diving in air and getting penalty. It amuses me as he admitted these errors in his book and just said matter of factly Villa were the opposition on consecutive pages. Anything else I've missed out on. Not a decision but I remember that Carling cup game in 2006 at Chelsea where we took 6k and some idiot threw a bottle on the pitch....he made a big song and dance about taking it right infront of the Villa fans. Bloke didn't like us for whatever reason. Stoke away. The game where we lost 3-2 to a last minute goal.I seem to remember he turned down a blatant Villa penalty and then went up the other end and gave Stoke a dodgy one. Think that was their 1st ever Premier League game. I despise Halsey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gharperr Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 (edited) so 5 decisions against in 10+ years means doesnt like villa. hmmm always find it bizarre whenever people moan about refs not liking a team. with most referees theres usually comments in match threads saying "i hate <insert ref>, he hates us". and its said by every teams fans. Edited September 3, 2016 by gharperr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One For The Road Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 2 hours ago, gharperr said: so 5 decisions against in 10+ years means doesnt like villa. hmmm always find it bizarre whenever people moan about refs not liking a team. with most referees theres usually comments in match threads saying "i hate <insert ref>, he hates us". and its said by every teams fans. Halsey was a terrible ref. Absolutely loved the big clubs and I can't think of many other refs (other than Dowd) who ******* us over as often as that ****. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 No one will come close to dowd that cup final decision + the baggies sending off i dint know what the outright worst decision I've ever seen vs us but to hide 2 come close, probably the ref who didn't know that seeing as enkleman didn't touch the ball it should have been a corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 I am not at all suprised. Controversy is what sells and gives pundits things to talk about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Will always despise Dowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanBalaban Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 Always thought that Kevin Friend has serious issues with us over the last few seasons. And the linesman Darren Cann made a couple of highly dubious calls against us last season too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Out of interest, can anyone readily list favourable decisions that we've had from referees? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Friend is an arsehole. That QPR where we won 3-2 was clearly bent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 19 minutes ago, bobzy said: Out of interest, can anyone readily list favourable decisions that we've had from referees? Uriah Rennie gave us a few. I remember an extremely dodgy pen for a 'foul' on Vassell when we beat Leeds 2-0 in 2004. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 17 minutes ago, bobzy said: Out of interest, can anyone readily list favourable decisions that we've had from referees? Not really... i can remember arsenal fans moaning like **** when we had a penalty vs them because the ref played advantage, wiemann fluffed it, the ref called it back for the foul rudys goal vs Leicester last year had a bit of handball about it and this whole thing, it's on the brink of going to where it should be, refs being allowed to say they saw it but not well enough to make a decision so let's have a panel with a better view make a retrospective decision on the refs behalf, everyone with a bit of brain fully understanding that thought process...it will actually go to a bloke watching a tv screen having 30 seconds to take a slightly better guess at it...once that bloke has the wrong decision also then there's no going back, case in point I always use - Suarez dive vs us, video ref gives that, doesnt make it right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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