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      Prem ref Chris Kavanagh has yet to officiate any of the 39 top-flight matches this season

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      CHRIS KAVANAGH has not been selected for a Premier League match for a fourth week running.The Greater Manchester referee, 37, has not been picked for any of the opening 39 top-flight matches of the new season following yesterday’s appointments for this weekend’s fixtures.
      Fifa referee Chris Kavanagh hit the headlines when ex-Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic pushed him in an FA Cup quarter-final tie at Manchester United.Credit: AFP
      The 37-year-old on duty in Newcastle’s home match with Arsenal last seasonCredit: Rex
      Kavanagh has been overlooked as a referee, fourth official, VAR or assistant VAR role, according to the Prem’s official website.
      SunSport understands Kavanagh is not injured and sources have indicated he has a frosty relationship with PGMOL Select Group One manager Jonathan Moss.
      The Fifa official last took charge of a Prem match back on May 20 for Manchester United’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth.
      Sixteen of the 20 Select Group One refs have had a game so far this season.
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      That will become 17 of the 20 because Darren England has been placed in charge of Tottenham’s visit to Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.
      The other Select Group One refs who have not officiated a Prem game yet are Tony Harrington and Graham Scott.
      But both have taken charge of a Championship match – unlike Kavanagh.
      The two new Prem refs for this season – Darren Bond and Tim Robinson – have both been appointed for one match each in August. 
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      Kavanagh officiated just 13 Prem matches last season but has yet to be appointed this term. 
      Robert Madley, who has returned as a Select Group Two official, has been pushed forward to officiate Brentford’s home clash with Bournemouth on Saturday.
      Kavanagh officiated 23 games in total, but six were in the Championship, two in the FA Cup plus a match apiece in the Europa League and Nations League.
      But he hit the headlines in March when Fulham’s former striker Aleksandar Mitrovic pushed the ref in an FA Cup quarter-final tie at Old Trafford.
      Mitrovic was banned for eight games while Fulham manager Marco Silva also received a two-match ban after he was sent off. More

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      Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew demands major rule change over ‘incredibly soft’ second yellow cards

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      ALAN PARDEW has recommended a major change to the Premier League’s rules surrounding second yellow cards after controversial decisions in recent weeks. The former Crystal Palace and Newcastle boss has called for change after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s sending off against Crystal Palace last week.
      Alan Pardew has recommended that the Premier League change the rules surrounding second yellow cardsCredit: https://twitter.com/talkSPORT
      David Coote sent off Takehiro Tomiyasu for two yellow card offences against Crystal palace last MondayCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Fans think Trent Alexander-Arnold was lucky to get away without being sent off for two yellows himself during Liverpool’s clash with Newcastle this weekendCredit: Reuters
      The Arsenal full-back was sent off for two yellow card offences – one for time wasting and the other for a pull-back on Andre Ayew.
      Gunners fans were incensed about the decision and felt that it was an extremely harsh reason to completely change the dimension of the game.
      There has also been controversy around referee John Brooks’ decision not to dismiss Trent Alexander-Arnold for similar offences during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Newcastle at the weekend.
      The Reds’ defender was booked for throwing the ball away, but didn’t receive a second yellow card moments later after using his arm to block off Anthony Gordon whilst Newcastle were counter-attacking.
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      And ex-Premier League boss Pardew thinks he knows how to resolve the issue going forward.
      Rather than two yellow cards leading to a player being sent off for the remainder of the game, Pardew thinks a 20 minute sin bin could be the answer.
      Speaking on TalkSport, he said: “I think it [two yellow cards] is a lesser offence in my opinion than a straight red.
      “And I think when you get a yellow card and then a second yellow card – I think it should be a sin bin.
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      “And I think it’d be good for the game. A guy goes off for 20 minutes like they do it in rugby union. I think it’s 10 minutes in rugby union.
      “You go off for 20 minutes and It gives the advantage to the opposition for that period and then they come back on and the game carries on.”
      The proposed rule would be a drastic change to the current approach and would mean the advantage given to the opposition is massively cut short.
      But it could see referees change the way they approach second yellow cards and deal with each offence individually rather than taking a previous card into consideration during their decision. More

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      Spiky Mike Dean is quizzed live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday after fury over ‘pathetic’ VAR call for Chelsea clash

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      FORMER Premier League ref Mike Dean became defensive when questioned live on Sky Sports over his “pathetic” VAR call last season.Dean has hit back at criticism after his comments referring to a VAR incident sparked outrage.
      Former VAR official Mike Dean says the reaction to his confession has been blown out of proportionCredit: twitter @SkySportsNews
      The former referee received a live TV grilling on Soccer Saturday following his revelations about a Premier League game last season.
      Dean admitted this week that he made a “pathetic” error in the clash between Chelsea and Tottenham last August.
      The now retired official confessed that he failed to correct an on-pitch error because he didn’t want to cause close friend Anthony Taylor “grief”.
      He was on VAR duty and chose not to recommend an on-field review after Cristian Romero had pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair in the build-up to Harry Kane’s 96th-minute equaliser.
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      Dean claimed that he decided against the referral due to the fiery nature of the derby and that his “mate” Taylor didn’t deserve further pressure.
      PGMOL chiefs responded to Dean’s comments with a strongly worded statement on Friday afternoon.
      But Dean has now defended himself, insisting that his use of the word “mate” has been blown out of proportion.
      Dean, 55, said: “It’s funny because that’s all been blown out of context.
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      “What I’ve said is old news, it’s been out in news reports before maybe four or five months ago, so it’s not new news.
      “I refer to him [Taylor] as a mate, I mentioned before that what you’ve got to look at in context is that you might not like some guys in your refereeing group.
      “But at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, they’re your mates and you want your mates to do well, so the mate thing has been blown all out of proportion.
      “I want to support the referee as much as I can; that’s what you do as a VAR.
      “Yes, he was wrong and I should have sent him to the screen but to say I didn’t send him over because he’s a mate is an absolute farce.
      “And it’s just been blown out of proportion. It’s just people trying to make a story.”
      Chelsea fans have come out again to ridicule the bizarre justification.
      One fuming fan wrote: “Can’t hide now after admitting you manipulated a game”.
      Another added: “‘Blown out of proportion’ 😂 he admitted his decision was influenced by his mate”.
      A third wrote: “Absolute disgrace. We’re supposed to believe it isn’t corruption”.
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      A fourth declared: “He is a man under pressure. Admitted cheating now trying to worm out of it”.
      From the start of the 2023/24 campaign, he has been Sky Sports’ referee analyst on Soccer Saturday.
      Cucurella’s hair was blatantly pulled by Spurs defender Cristian Romero More

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      FA refs chiefs break silence on Mike Dean row after ex-official revealed reason for ‘pathetic’ VAR decision

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      REFEREES bosses have broken their silence after Mike Dean admitted he made a “pathetic” mistake while on VAR duties last season.The former ref revealed that he did not correct an on-pitch decision during the heated clash between Chelsea and Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
      PGMOL have responded to claims made by Mike Dean about VARCredit: AFP
      Dean admitted to not sending Anthony Taylor to review an incident between Cristian Romero and Marc Cucurella last seasonCredit: Reuters
      Dean did not get Anthony Taylor to review an incident between Cristian Romero and Marc Cucurella.
      Romero was spotted pulling the Blues ace’s long-hair during a corner which should have led to a penalty.
      However, Dean did not want to cause Taylor any more “grief” and did not call him to review the moment on the monitor.
      The game would then end in a draw thanks to Harry Kane netting a goal moments after the incident.
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      And now PGMOL – the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd – have issued a statement on Dean’s comments insisting that “strongly refute” Dean’s claim that VARs do not intervene.
      A PGMOL spokesperson said: “VARs undergo extensive training with the focus centered entirely around effectively working with the on-field team of officials to rectify clear and obvious errors.
      “When VARs identify a clear and obvious error by the on-field team and match officials, they should intervene and recommend a review by the referee.
      “We strongly refute any suggestions that VARs do not intervene, for whatever reason, when they have identified a clear and obvious error.”
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      Dean has been a referee in the Premier League for more than two decades before switching to be a VAR full-time.
      He admitted that the incident between Romero and Cucurella should have been reviewed.
      During his revelation, he called the hair pull by Romero “pathetic” and admitted that if he could relive the moment he would have sent Taylor to the monitor. More

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      Mike Dean reveals ‘pathetic’ reason he refused to send Anthony Taylor to check VAR as he admits ‘really bad call’

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      FORMER Premier League VAR Mike Dean has admitted he did not send Anthony Taylor to the monitor when Cristian Romero pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair because the official is his “mate”.Dean, 55, retired from all forms of officiating at the end of last season.
      Mike Dean has admitted to a major error while working as a VARCredit: Getty
      Dean admits he should have sent Anthony Taylor, above, to the monitorCredit: Getty
      But at the start of his final campaign, he was involved in a controversial decision while working as the VAR for Spurs’ trip to Chelsea.
      Tottenham salvaged a 2-2 draw thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time header from Harry Kane.
      Moments before the equaliser, Spurs defender Romero pulled the hair of Chelsea’s Cucurella and should have been sent off.
      However, ref Taylor did not spot an infringement and failed to even book the Argentine.
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      Dean came in for criticism because he did not urge Taylor to have a look at the incident on the pitchside monitor.
      Now he has revealed why he made that call.
      Speaking on Up Front with Simon Jordan, he said: “I missed the stupid hair pull at Chelsea versus Tottenham which was pathetic from my point of view.
      “It’s one of them where if I had my time again, what would I do? I’d send Anthony [Taylor] to the screen.
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      Cristiano Romero got away with yanking Marc Cucurella’s hairCredit: Reuters
      “I think I knew if I did send him to the screen… he’s cautioned both managers, he’s had a hell of a game, it’s been such a tough game end to end.
      “I said to Anthony afterwards: ‘I just didn’t want to send you to the screen after what has gone on in the game’.
      “I didn’t want to send him up because he is a mate as well as a referee and I think I didn’t want to send him up because I didn’t want any more grief than he already had.
      “Anthony, he is big and bald and ugly enough to know if he is going to the screen he is going to the screen for a reason. If someone pulls their hair now it’s dead easy. It’s just a brainwave by me, a really bad call by me, and it kind of affected me as VAR going forward.”
      Dean was a Premier League referee for 22 years, before he spent one season in the VAR room.
      From the start of the 2023/24 campaign, he has been Sky Sports’ referee analyst on Soccer Saturday. More

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      Fans rage VAR ‘inconsistency is insane’ as Pickford concedes pen for ‘taking Watkins’ head off’ but Onana didn’t

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      FANS fumed “the inconsistency is insane” after Aston Villa were awarded a penalty this afternoon.With Everton already 1-0 down via John McGinn’s 18th minute effort, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford took out Ollie Watkins in the box.
      Ollie Watkins was taken out by Jordan PickfordCredit: Alamy
      Andre Onana got away with this challenge last weekCredit: Rex
      Referee Anthony Taylor wasted no time in pointing to the penalty spot.
      Douglas Luiz calmly converted from 12 yards, with Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran going on to complete the 4-0 rout.
      While few people disputed Villa’s penalty award, many raged at perceived inconsistencies following the decision not to award Wolves a spot kick against Manchester United last week.
      Gary O’Neil’s side felt extremely hard done by when nothing was given, despite Sasa Kalajdzic being taken out by Andre Onana.
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      The Wolves boss fumed after the match: “I’ve spoken to Jon Moss and fair play to him, he apologised, said it was a blatant penalty and that it should have been given.
      “It probably made me feel worse.
      “When you know you were right about something it makes you feel worse about leaving a game with nothing.”
      Fans pointed back to the Onana-Kalajdzic incident after Villa’s penalty award.
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      One wrote: “The inconsistency in this league is insane…
      “Onana did the same thing last week against wolves and that didn’t given but the Pickford one now does.
      “Just be consistent lol.”
      A second fumed: “Still some huge inconsistencies with VAR. You’d expect this sort of technology to be the solution, not the problem.”
      And a third claimed: “It’s been given because of last week.”
      Another added: “Both are penalties. All we need is consistency from those concerned.”
      Anthony Taylor penalised PickfordCredit: Alamy More

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      Who is Women’s World Cup final referee Tori Penso?

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      WOMEN’S WORLD CUP referee Tori Penso is one of the leading officials in the game.And she has been charged with being the woman in the middle for England’s Women’s World Cup final clash against Spain.
      Tori Penso became the first woman to referee an MLS match in over 20 yearsCredit: Getty

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      From her career on the pitch to her family life – here’s everything you need to know.
      Who is Tori Penso?
      Tori Penso is American football referee from Florida.
      In 2020, she became the first woman to referee an MLS match in over 20 years.
      Penso began her refereeing career at the age of 14 – where she started reffing both boys’ and girls’ games.
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      Not only was this a way of income for the then teenager, it also opened the door to a great opportunity – earning her an invitation to a refereeing camp run by the Olympic Development Program in Texas.
      At the time, Penso was playing football while also studying for a university degree in marketing – and she did not yet view refereeing as a potential job.
      She told FIFA.com: ”There were no full-time female referees in the States, and so I didn’t really see it as a career.
      ”I did understand, though, that it was more than just a temporary job for me, and that maybe it would enable me to get to know my country a bit better, and maybe even the world.”
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      Penso later made the decision to give up her job at an advertising agency in favour for refereeing.
      In 2021, she made history once again – becoming the first woman to referee a FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
      A year later, in 2022, Penso took charge of five FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup matches in Costa Rica, including one of the semi-finals.
      How long has Tori Penso been a referee?
      As mentioned above Penso was introduced to world of refereeing during her youth.
      In 2021, Penso, a leading offical in the game, became a FIFA-rated referee.
      As of August 2023, the trailblazing referee has taken charge of four matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
      She was chosen to officiate the highly-anticipated England vs Australia semi-final on August 16, 2023.
      Is Tori Penso married and does she have any children?
      Tori Penso is married to fellow referee Chris Penso.
      The couple share three daughters. More

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      Portsmouth clash bizarrely SUSPENDED as ref walks down tunnel with the ball before FAN ‘takes over as linesman’

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      PORTSMOUTH’S clash with Cheltenham was bizarrely delayed as the officials appealed for any qualified refs in the crowd to take over as linesman.The unusual incident occurred just 12 minutes into the second half, when referee Ben Toner grabbed the ball and left the field of play.
      Portsmouth’s clash with Cheltenham was bizarrely delayedCredit: Rex
      At the time, Pompey tweeted: “As if this afternoon couldn’t get anymore bizarre…
      “The referee has taken the ball and disappeared down the tunnel – we’ll keep you updated.”
      Two minutes later, they added: “A message has just gone out over the PA system for a qualified official to make themselves known…
      “And a fan from the stands has just emerged to take over duties, so we should be fine!”
      The original officiating team at the match consisted of Ben Toner as referee, Daniel Flynn and Mark Derrien as his assistants and Stephen Brown as the fourth official.
      One of the linesmen was forced off injured during the first half of the match, with Brown taking over.
      Disaster then struck early on in the second period, when the other linesman also picked up an injury.
      At this point the referee led both teams back down the tunnel, with the Fratton Park PA system appealing for any qualified referees to emerge from the crowd.
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      Around ten minutes after the initial incident it was confirmed that play would resume in a further five.
      The match eventually got back underway in the 55th minute, with a supporter running the line.
      Pompey and Cheltenham were level at 0-0 when the suspension occurred.
      As the replacement assistant ref raised his flag for a throw-in for the first time, he received a loud cheer from the crowd.
      The officials eventually reverted to the original match clock, meaning they entered 21 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the initial 90. More