Hooper was suspended alongside video assistant ref, Michael Sailsbury and assistant VAR ref Richard West
Kehinde Okeowo
The English Premier League management has suspended referee Simon Hooper, following his controversial call in Monday night’s game between Manchester United and Wolves.
Hooper was dropped alongside video assistant referee, Michael Sailsbury and assistant VAR referee, Richard West from this weekend’s fixtures.
Man United edged the encounter 1-0 despite Wolve creating the better chances thanks to Raphael Varane’s second-half goal.
However, the Red escaped a late penalty call after Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic and Craig Dawson in the final minute of injury time.
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Replays showed that Onana missed the ball completely, before making contact with the two Wolves players.
But Hooper decided that it was not a penalty and the VAR officials stuck with the on-field decision made by the referee.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, Wolves coach, Gary O’Neil, revealed that Jon Moss, manager of the Premier League’s elite group of officials, had admitted that the visitors should have been awarded a spot kick.
He said: “We have just spoken to Jon Moss and fair play to him for coming straight out and apologising and saying it was a blatant penalty and should have been given,” he said. “I spent the afternoon with him today, gave up a lot of my day and preparation around trying to understand the new guidelines and trying not to get myself booked on my first game with the new guidelines, which I failed in.
“Fair play to Jon for saying it was a clear and obvious error and he cannot believe that the on-field ref did not give it, cannot believe that VAR didn’t intervene. It probably made me feel worse actually because once you know you are right you feel worse about leaving with nothing.”
And following the admission from the PGMOL, all three officials have been left off the appointment list for this weekend’s top-flight fixtures.
