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      Watch referee hold ‘VAR review’ on FAN’S PHONE before disallowing goal to spark wild celebrations

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      A REFEREE disallowed a goal at a football game after holding a VAR review on a FAN’S PHONE. VAR is a controversial tool at the best of times – and that’s with the use of high-quality cameras and a whole team at Stockley Park.
      A referee takes a fan’s phone to watch a replayCredit: Twitter/@sportbible
      The referee watches the footageCredit: Twitter/@sportbible
      He then rules the goal should be disallowedCredit: Twitter/@sportbible
      But this maverick referee paid no mind to that as he held his own impromptu review with nothing but a pitchside fan’s phone for assistance.
      In a viral video, said to take place at a Serbian lower league game, a fan brandishes his mobile to help the referee come to a decision on whether to allow a goal.
      The referee took the phone and looked at the footage for over half a minute before deciding to rule out the goal.
      This decision sent the team wearing blue wheeling away in celebration of the ruling in their favour.
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      Fans were quick to draw comparisons to the actual VAR process used typically in the top professional leagues and competitions.
      One user described it as: “VAR on budget.”
      A second user said: “Better than VAR,” while another echoed this saying: “So even Sunday league Serbia is better than the EPL VAR!”
      However, some eagle-eyed viewers also picked up on the referee never actually returning the phone to the fan who gave it to him.
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      A user asked: “Is he going to return his phone?”
      Another said: “the referee took his phone,” and followed it up with a crying emoji.
      VAR officiating came under intense scrutiny after some very controversial calls during the last set of Premier League fixtures.
      The Premier League and PGMOL (the referees’ governing body) declared they would review the decisions made at Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park that weekend. More

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      How cheeky Chelsea stars tricked Diego Costa into making X-rated comments to referee which nearly got striker sent off

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      CHEEKY Chelsea players tricked Diego Costa into making X-rated comments to a Premier League referee – and almost got the hot-head sent off.Costa – who returned to England with Wolves this week – signed for the Blues from Atletico Madrid in a £32million transfer in summer 2014.
      Diego Costa regularly got into trouble with referees during his time at ChelseaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      John Terry burst into hysterics when one referee almost sent Costa off for his bad languageCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But the Spain international, who grew up in Brazil speaking Portuguese, barely knew a word of English as he arrived in the Premier League.
      So skipper John Terry and his team-mates made the most of the opportunity to play the hilarious prank by telling Costa the word for “sorry” was actually “c***”.
      Then in one of his first appearances for Chelsea, Costa did not take long to get into trouble with the referee who wanted a word with the fiery forward.
      As he walked away, the goalscorer muttered “c***” towards the official.
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      Stunned, the ref called him back over, asking Costa to clarify what he had just said.
      Then the striker repeated the expletive to his face, prompting the referee to summon over captain Terry for a word.
      The shocked whistler told JT what had happened and told the legendary Chelsea icon to tell Costa to clean out his potty-mouth.
      But instead, Terry burst out laughing on the pitch and explained the practical joke to the referee: “We told him ‘c***’ meant ‘sorry’!”
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      Although certainly appreciating the banter, the referee did warn Terry he had to tell Costa the proper word for “sorry” – because he almost showed him a red card for foul and abusive language.
      The 24-cap Spain star went on to score 59 goals in 120 appearances in three seasons as Chelsea before returning to Atleti.
      He was somehow only once shown a red card – in an FA Cup battle with Everton.
      However, he earned a reputation for his combative style at Stamford Bridge resulting in a series of FA suspensions.  
      Then back in Madrid, he was sent off on his second debut for the club and banned for eight matches in 2019 after insulting a LaLiga ref’s “prostitute mother” and repeatedly grabbing Jesus Gil Manzano while swearing and shouting at him after being sent off for dissent. 
      But now Costa is back in the Premier League after completing a one-year free transfer to Wolves following the ACL injury to new signing Sasa Kalajdzic.
      And boss Bruno Lage will be hoping Costa is on his best behaviour and lets his feet do the talking if he makes his debut against champions Manchester City on Saturday – with experienced ref Anthony Taylor the man in the middle. 
      Diego Costa got an eight-game ban for abusing a Spanish refereeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Costa will want to keep his mouth shut and let his feet do the talking at WolvesCredit: Getty More

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      Football fans left stunned after non-league Chippenham awarded ‘shocking’ penalty against Oxford City

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      FANS of Oxford City FC have been left stunned after rivals Chippenham Town were awarded a controversial late penalty. And The Hoops shared a clip of the penalty on their social media to highlight the refereeing call.

      An Oxford City defender gets back to clear the ball off the lineCredit: Twitter
      The Chippenham Town attacker who was pressing the ball follows through and gets tripped up by the defender after the ball has already been clearedCredit: Twitter
      The referee awarded a penalty to the dismay of OxfordCredit: Twitter
      A poor header back towards goal was latched onto by a Chippenham attacker, who then proceeded to lob the ball over the goalkeeper.
      But a defender managed to make a heroic sliding clearance off the line to prevent a goal, taking the onrushing attacker out with it.
      However, City were left perplexed when a penalty was awarded against them for a seemingly clean tackle.
      Jordan Young subsequently converted the 98th-minute penalty to hand Oxford their second defeat on the spin in the National League South.
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      Oxford manager Ross Jenkins was also critical of the decision on Oxford City’s YouTube channel.
      He said: “Yeah it wasn’t just out angle, it was the whole stadium’s angle. It was all sides of the stadium that saw it wasn’t a penalty.
      “It was an error from us to head it backwards, we accept that, but then we’ve done so well to recover and clear it off the line.
      “You can clearly see our player has nicked the ball first and their players followed through and gone over the top of him.
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      “I’m not quite sure what the referee saw, but it’s not good enough because it’s cost us points tonight… it’s really disappointing and a big error on the ref’s part.”
      Fans on social media echoed this sentiment.
      One user said: “No pen, great defending,” while a second described it as: “shocking.”
      Another added: “If that is a penalty I’m a polar bear.”
      Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey even weighed in on the debate.
      He said: “Imo (in my opinion) no one would have complained if the referee had just played on.”
      Read More on The Sun
      It comes amid a weekend of controversial decisions in the Premier League despite the assistance of VAR.
      Referee governing body PGMOL even admitted decisions which went against West Ham and Newcastle in their respective games against Chelsea and Crystal Palace would be reviewed after heavy criticism. More

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      Blunder VAR referee Lee Mason AXED from Prem games this weekend after his shocker cost Newcastle ‘winner’ vs Palace

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      BLUNDER video ref Lee Mason has been axed from the Prem match list this weekend after his VAR cock-up at Newcastle.And Toon have lodged a complaint to the Prem and refs’ body PGMOL, claiming dodgy decisions against them are a “consistent theme”.
      Newcastle were denied a winner by VAR against Crystal PalaceCredit: Getty
      Lee Mason will not officiate a Premier League game this weekendCredit: Rex
      Mason has been dropped after his role in disallowing Toon’s “winner” against Crystal Palace.
      He ruled Joe Willock had fouled keeper Vicente Guiata, though replays clearly showed he had been pushed into him by Eagles star Tyrick Mitchell. 
      Toon’s co-owner Amanda Staveley said: “We should have won, I hated the VAR decision.
      “That’s something we’re dealing with — it seems to be a consistent theme of the last few games.”
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      The PGMOL Board, headed by ex-ref Mike Riley, admitted Toon’s goal — and a KO’d West Ham leveller against Chelsea — should have stood after Prem chiefs launched an emergency review.
      But Newcastle are demanding answers from the Prem chiefs and the PGMOL on how blundering VAR calls can be improved.
      Staveley added: “We are dealing with that, talking to officials and trying to get something that will work going forward.”
      Ref Michael Salisbury overturned his original decision to allow the goal after being recommended by Mason to consult his pitchside monitor.
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      Fuming Toon boss Eddie Howe insisted it  was a “perfectly good” goal.
      It is the second time Newcastle have moaned about the standard of refereeing in just nine months.
      Newcastle believe they should also have been given penalties against Manchester City and Wolves in recent weeks, while they were also  raging when Liverpool scored a 98th-minute winner when just five  minutes of injury time had been awarded.
      Howe received some answers following the club’s original complaint in December, but sarcastically described the letter as an “interesting read”.
      Mason also came under fire for advising ref Paul Tierney to rule out Gabriel Martinelli’s strike for Arsenal at Manchester United on Sunday for a Martin Odegaard foul.
      However, Jarred Gillett WILL take control of Leicester’s game with Aston Villa on Saturday despite his Hammers clanger on Saturday.
      Raging West Ham boss David Moyes branded the Aussie VAR unfit for duty, calling the decision to rule out Maxwel Cornet’s late equaliser against the Blues as “scandalous”.
      Following the weekend clangers, all top-flight refs are expected to be reminded the FINAL word on any “subjective” VAR overturn must lie with them, even if they are urged to go to the screen.
      Michael Oliver became the first Prem ref in 18 months to stick with his original decision, despite a recommendation from Stockley Park when he confirmed a Nottingham Forest penalty in their 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
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      Oliver and Anthony Taylor will work with foreign VAR officials when the group phase of Uefa’s club competitions kick-off.
      Taylor will be in contact with Germany’s Marco Fritz when he refs PSG vs Juventus on Tuesday night, with Pole Tomasz Kwiatkowski in Oliver’s ear on Thursday. More

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      I’m a gay referee and you’d be surprised how many footballers are homosexual… sadly there’s still prejudice in sport

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      UP to 40 per cent of footballers are gay, a top referee has claimed.Brazilian Fifa official Igor Benevenuto made headlines when he bravely came out last month.
      Igor Benevenuto has opened up about homosexuality in footballCredit: AFP
      The 41-year-old had been on the list for a VAR role at the World Cup finals in Qatar, but was not chosen.
      Benevenuto has now insisted homosexuality is far more widespread in football than previously thought.
      No serving top-flight male player in England has come out since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
      Benevenuto told German magazine Der Spiegel: “Let’s take into account every person involved in football – officials, managers, players and referees.
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      “Thirty to forty per cent of them are homosexual or bisexual, or have done something at one time with another man.
      “You would be surprised at just who is homosexual in this industry.”
      Benevenuto, who has been a referee for 24 years, said he has experienced prejudice in his home country.
      He added: “In Brazil homosexuality is seen as an illness similar to alcoholism, which can be overcome.
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      “I believed that for years. I suffered from depression and went through dark times.
      “I used to pray to God to free me from this illness.
      “Sadly there is still prejudice.
      “I don’t expect the situation to completely alter during my lifetime.
      “But I can still be a drop in the ocean of change.” More

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      Mark Halsey slams ‘staggering’ loss of veteran referees and fears for ‘poorest set of officials in many a year’

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      FANS will notice a changing of the guard among match officials in the early months of the new Premier League season.Experienced quartet Mike Dean, Martin Atkinson, Jon Moss and Kevin Friend will no longer be on the pitch while Tom Bramall is the sole new referee in the Prem.
      Ex-referee says it’s sink or swim for new Premier League officialsCredit: PA
      And with the imminent departure of refs’ boss Mike Riley, a shake-up will continue to take place ahead of Howard Webb’s expected arrival in the winter.
      Promoted Bramall is young at 32 but is viewed as a promising prospect following his rapid rise through the leagues.
      My own refereeing journey was similar to Sheffield-based Bramall’s pathway as we both spent two seasons in the National League before moving up to the Football League.
      After four seasons in the EFL where I’ve heard Championship managers rated him highly, Bramall is in the big time as the fifth ref to be promoted by the PGMOL in the last year.
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      The other four refs who moved up last season – Jarred Gillett, Michael Salisbury, Tony Harrington and John Brooks – were selected for just 19 games between them.
      They are all still learning their trade at the highest level so why were they not trusted in more games last season to prepare?
      For new refs, it’s like a Championship club being promoted into the Prem, you face a sink or swim scenario.
      I believe the succession planning from Riley has been poor and I hope that will improve when Webb arrives because it is staggering to lose the experience of 1,570 Prem games from Dean, Atkinson, Moss and Friend in one summer.
      The Prem has gone from 22 refs to 19 and, of the remaining number, only 12 have taken charge of 100 or more matches.
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      As a result the pressure on the rookies to step up and deliver will increase and leaves the league with the poorest set of officials in many a year.
      Despite my fears, I believe fresh blood should always be welcomed but there is no hiding place in the Premier League.
      A lack of experience among the new officials could make for a lively start where we will have five subs, multiball and a tweak to the offside rule over the use of a ‘deliberate play’ by a defender. More

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      Premier League ‘plan to release in-match conversations between referees and VAR officials’ to fans this season

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      PREMIER LEAGUE fans will finally be able to hear the conversations between referees and VARs, according to reports.The League wants to have a more transparent approach and believes releasing the chats will help.
      Referees’ chats with their VARs will be released after matches this seasonCredit: Getty
      Supporters have so far been left in the dark regarding how officials reached their conclusions, relying on replays and pundit analysis.
      According to The Times, the idea is that the public would get to listen in and get a clearer understanding and explanation on how decisions are made this season.
      However, the recordings would only be released after full-time due to rules on live broadcasts.
      The suggestion is widely supported, claims Premier League chief Richard Masters.
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      He said: “There is a general view that [releasing the audio] is a good thing.
      “There is a desire to be more open with fans about referees’ decision-making and how we do that precisely we need to work out.”
      The Premier League introduced VAR for the 2019-20 season.
      Similar talks between refs and their VARs are available in the MLS in the United States.
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      The audios are posted on YouTube, giving supporters the chance to hear the process of how the referees made the calls.
      In rugby and cricket, fans can already hear the conversations in real time during TV and radio broadcasts of matches.
      Former Fifa ref Howard Webb, who took charge of the 2010 World Cup final, is currently head of refereeing for the MLS.
      But he looks set to return to the Premier League as the new refs’ chief.
      It has been a summer of turnover for Mike Riley’s top officials.
      Kevin Friend became the latest to hang up his whistle, following fellow veterans Mike Dean, Jon Moss and Martin Atkinson into retirement.
      PGMOL had already announced Tom Bramall, who has only been a referee for three seasons, was being promoted to Select Group One and on to the Prem panel.
      Fans were previously left in the dark regarding how officials reached their conclusionsCredit: Reuters More

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      Euro 2022 final’s Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul spent five days living in bunker in Kharkiv after Russia’s invasion

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      TODAY’S Euro 2022 final referee is Ukrainian – and spent five days living in an underground bunker after the Russian invasion. Kateryna Monzul will step out at a sold-out Wembley this afternoon to oversee England vs Germany.
      Kateryna Monzul will referee the Euro 2022 final at Wembley todayCredit: Reuters
      But just months ago, she was in hiding with her family in her hometown of Kharkiv as Russian forces raided the country.
      Monzul headed to her parents’ home and took shelter before fleeing Ukraine with her two sisters and their three children, eventually settling in Italy.
      They drove through Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic before arriving in Germany and then Italy, continuing her refereeing.
      Reflecting on the journey from Ukraine to Italy and then to the Euros in England, Monzul said: “When the war started, nobody could believe it.
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      “My family went to my parents’ home. We were [living] underground – a special place in the house.
      “It was stressful and difficult.
      “When we left Ukraine, we didn’t have any ideas what the next step was for us.”
      Monzul is a trailblazer for her country and for refereeing.
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      The 41-year-old was the first female ref to take charge of an England senior men’s match and a Ukraine Premier League match,
      An international official since 2004, she has also reffed in the Europa League, Europa Conference League, Nations League and three Women’s World Cups.
      Monzul will become the first official from Ukraine to referee a Women’s Euro final – and revealed the pride at calling home to tell her family about the landmark appointment which will see Sarina Wiegman’s side attempting to write history.
      She said she realised “how important it was for them as well as for myself” when she “hear their happy and positive reaction”.
      ‘HEART BEATING FAST’
      Monzul added: “This is a really emotional moment for me, and I’m enjoying it.
      “My heart is already beating fast. It’s the moment when a dream you have comes true.
      “But I must say that it’s also a moment where I feel responsibility because I’ll be refereeing an important football game.” More