The 40-year-old, regarded as one of the most seasoned referees in England with over 400 top-flight games to his name, was assigned to VAR duties for the encounter in Manchester. ..Continue Reading
Earlier in the year, Oliver faced criticism from Liverpool fans for several calls made during a 2-2 draw with Everton, including the red cards shown to Arne Slot and his assistant.
On Sunday, he was once again under scrutiny after Virgil van Dijk’s first-half goal was ruled out following a VAR check that determined Andy Robertson was interfering with play.
Robertson, positioned just ahead of the goal line, had his back turned and moved aside as Van Dijk’s header came in.
An official statement from the Premier League read: “The referee’s call of offside and no goal to Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Robertson in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”
In his post-match comments, a clearly frustrated Arne Slot said it was “obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made” to disallow the goal, adding: “He didn’t interfere at all with what the goalkeeper could do.”
Oliver, a lifelong supporter of Newcastle United, is not permitted to officiate any of their matches. He also played for the club at youth level and once shared in 2019 that he “had a bit of talent” but “didn’t like putting the hard work in as a player”.
Due to his ties with Newcastle, he is also barred from overseeing games involving their local rivals, Sunderland.
“We have to declare if we have an allegiance to any club or if a family member works at a club,” he told the Daily Mail. “You can’t do any match involving that team, and I can’t do Sunderland, either, for obvious reasons.”
Oliver added: “If Newcastle needed a point to survive and the team they were fighting to get above was, say, Villa, I couldn’t referee Villa’s game either. I wouldn’t want to. It’s not worth the hassle.”
Keith Hackett, former head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has outlined the process referees must follow.
“At the beginning of every season the referees’ background information is audited,” he said. “They complete a form that includes who they support, the history of if they’ve played the game and with the addresses where they are residing.”
Hackett added: “That gives you a picture that comes into use when you’re appointing. It’s about ensuring, for example, you wouldn’t appoint a Sheffield-based ref for a Sheffield team.”
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