‘We’re the laughing stock’ – Ex-referees chief demands Michael Oliver is AXED for ‘missing’ horror challenge on Mateta

1 week ago 7

FORMER refs’ main Keith Hackett has called for blunder whistler Michael Oliver to beryllium axed and claims English officials “are the laughing banal successful Europe.”

Hackett besides wants a maximum 120-second VAR reappraisal introduced pursuing the astonishing 8min 11sec farce to regularisation retired a Milos Kerkez ‘goal’ for offside successful Bournemouth’s FA Cup shootout triumph implicit Wolves.

Referee Michael Oliver officiating a UEFA Champions League match.Rex
Michael Oliver has been slammed for not instantly awarding a reddish paper for a fearfulness tackle connected Jean-Philippe Mateta[/caption]
Injured shot    subordinate    being carried disconnected  connected  a stretcher.AP
Crystal Palace prima Mateta was taken to infirmary aft being kicked successful the caput during the club’s FA Cup clash against Millwall[/caption]
Portrait of Keith Hackett, a erstwhile  shot   referee.Getty
Ex-ref Keith Hackett wants Oliver axed and a 120-second maximum reappraisal clip introduced[/caption]

Oliver was slammed by Crystal Palace main Steve Parish for failing to grant adjacent a free-kick aft Millwall keeper Liam Roberts’ flying kung fu footwear to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s caput enactment the Eagles striker successful hospital.

It needed VAR Nick Hopton’s involution successful Saturday’s FA Cup 5th circular clash earlier Oliver was persuaded to contented Roberts a reddish card.

And it came connected the aforesaid time the caller Semi-Automated Offside Technology failed astatine the Vitality Stadium – connected the precise archetypal play of it being utilized successful competitory matches.

It prompted ex-PGMOL brag Hackett to motorboat a blistering onslaught connected his successor Howard Webb, posting: “We are the laughing banal successful Europe and the diminution continues.

“I wonderment if the PGMOL are susceptible of delivering top-class officiating.

“A situation that enactment a subordinate successful infirmary not recognised by the referee; EIGHT minutes to marque an offside call? Time for the players to person day tea! How is that helping?”

Angry Parish accused Roberts of endangering Mateta’s beingness with the “most reckless situation I’ve ever seen.”

Mateta needed 25 stitches successful a “serious” gashed receptor and besides underwent caput scans earlier being released from hospital.

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And Parish fumed: “It was a dreadful challenge, but wherefore the ref needed to spell to the surface I person nary idea.”

Oliver, 40, was besides wide criticised implicit his Molineux cock-up successful January erstwhile helium wrongly issued a consecutive reddish paper to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly for a travel – overturned connected appeal.

Hackett insisted Oliver “needs rest. At slightest a mates of weeks off.

“That was unspeakable officiating. The referee went missing. The reddish paper should person been issued without hesitation.”

Bournemouth and Wolves fans chanted: “F*** VAR,” and “it’s not shot immoderate more,” during the Vitality farce.

And Hackett posted connected X: “This should beryllium a game-changing moment.
“Why didn’t the Premier League/PGMOL acquisition an SAOS strategy that is tried and tested.

“Why determine to usage astatine this signifier of the FA Cup?

“We present request to enactment a clip timepiece connected the process. Two minutes max – past revert to the on-field decision.”

Hackett, 80, besides claims if refs hold for a VAR input earlier making decisions, “then we mightiness arsenic good usage Tarot cards oregon bingo balls.”

Sheffield-born Hackett antecedently accused the £26million PGMOL of “being tally by a clump of amateurs who run similar a Mayfair Gentlemen’s Club.”

He added: “VAR is not working, truthful bin it.”

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