Union chief never heard of Premier League referees being told to falsify reports

04 September 2016 21:53

The trade union boss representing Premier League referees has no knowledge of match officials being instructed to to lie in their post-match reports.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey replied to Twitter posts on Saturday about Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero's three-match ban for violent conduct by alleging pressure from Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for referees to say they have not seen incidents which could be open to video review.

His claims were questioned on Sunday by Alan Leighton, national secretary of the Prospect union.

Leighton told the Guardian: "In all the years that I have represented referees, I cannot recall any official approaching me on the basis they had been asked by PGMOL to lie in a report to the FA."

Aguero was charged by the Football Association with elbowing West Ham defender Winston Reid during City's 3-1 win last Saturday. Had referee Andre Marriner seen the incident and included it in his report, it could not have been reviewed.

Halsey, using the account @RefereeHalsey, wrote: "I have been in that situation when I have seen an incident and been told to say I haven't seen it" and later added: "to be fair to the FA... it's not them, it comes from with in the PGMOL"

The PGMOL denied his comments in a statement later on Saturday which read: "Match officials ensure that their reports are a full and accurate description of the incident.

"There is no pressure from the PGMOL to include or omit anything."

Source: PA