06 March 2024 , 11:38
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Premier League referees are reportedly bemused by Mark Clattenburg's role at Nottingham Forest with the ex-official looking to question Paul Tierney's decision after the relegation-threatened club's loss to Liverpool.
Forest lost late on at the City Ground on Saturday, with referee Tierney incorrectly restarting the game after stopping it by handing the ball to Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher despite Forest being in possession. One minute and 50 seconds later, Liverpool eventually went on to score.
Clattenburg's appointment at Forest raised eyebrows and it was understood that he would give insight on decisions that were made. His antics on Saturday though suggest he will be among those leading the inquest when wrong calls cost the City Ground outfit.
Tierney refused to speak to Clattenburg after the contest. Staff members are allowed to speak to the referee after games provided they are named on the official documents listing of those selected to sit on the team benches. Clattenburg wasn't on that list and Tierney was within his rights to wave him away.
Clattenburg said that he'd be seeking a conversation with the PGMOL following Tierney's error. The refereeing body has accepted that an incorrect call was made in giving the ball back to Liverpool. Former Football League assistant Martin Cassidy, now the chief executive of Ref Support, does fear that Clattenburg could be “a partisan tool to justify ref abuse”.
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He told PA: “I genuinely fear that Clatts may be used like a puppet to give illegitimate behaviour credibility and by proxy justify ref abuse. I feel more clubs should call upon referees’ experience to explain law at every level of football.
“Football is a sport where the majority of those who play it don’t know the laws of the game they play. This is particularly relevant at pro level, which has always been a concern of mine, so I welcome such a role. The worry for me is if this role is then used as a partisan tool to justify ref abuse, and if the referee [analyst] has the freedom to say the referee was correct and the players were wrong.
Paul Tierney was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons on Saturday“There is no doubt that Clattenburg has huge credibility in this field and is someone I hugely admire, but the question that needs to be asked is: Has Clattenburg got the freedom to question publicly the behaviour of Forest as a club for their unacceptable response to this incident?”
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has sought to be more transparent over how decisions are made, hosting a show which details the dialogue between officials in matches. Webb is likely going to have to justify how and why Tierney made such a crucial error.
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