Online Reporter
HOWARD WEBB admits Michael Oliver and VAR were WRONG to send off Myles Lewis-Skelly during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wolves last month.
But the PGMOL chief said the criticism and abuse aimed at under-fire ref Oliver as a result was “wholly unacceptable”.
Gunners defender Lewis-Skelly was shown a first half straight red for a cynical trip on Wolves’ Matt Doherty just outside the Arsenal box — sparking widespread outrage from fans and pundits.
Oliver claimed it was “serious foul play”, while Sky pundit Micah Richards labelled it “the worst decision I’ve ever seen in Premier League football history”.
Three days later, the FA overturned the three-match ban for Lewis-Skelly — but Arsenal were still handed a £65k fine for the on-field reaction to the decision by the players. And Webb said: “From the outset, we would prefer a yellow card in this situation.
“[Oliver] saw the player moving in towards an opponent without any ability or intention of playing the ball. He felt it was serious foul play.
“But we know that for serious foul play, we need excessive force or brutality and what we see here is that high contact [just] glancing and coming off the leg quite quickly.
“So for that reason, everybody pretty much in the game has formed the same conclusion that this is falling short of serious foul play, because of that glancing contact.
“Because the studs don’t really go right into the leg, they glance in before coming down onto the foot.
“There are some considerations that might support a red card, but there are a whole host of others that say it is not quite there, so on balance we would rather this had been a yellow card.”
In the released referee audio from the match, Oliver says straight away to VAR official Darren England after Lewis-Skelly’s challenge: “I’m going to go red card, mate. Red card on the ankle. Red card, serious foul play.”
After a back and forth with his VAR assistant, England concludes that the “first impact is on the Achilles, on the shin” and replied: “Confirming the on-field decision of red card for serious foul play”.
Webb continued: “We feel the VAR should have been involved, but they didn’t want to re-referee the situation, they were mindful of the referee’s call standing unless it is clearly and obviously wrong.
“They felt it wasn’t at that level on the day and decided to leave it as a red card on the field.
“I’ve heard this described as a really horrendous officiating decision. It’s not!
“I understand why the referee saw this on the day as a serious foul-play action.
“It’s an understandable on-field decision.”
In the days after in the incident, Oliver received social media abuse and threats towards himself and his family and had police protection at his home after the PGMOL reported it.
It is one of NINETY cases of abuse towards refs police have assessed since the start of last season.
Webb said: “It’s wholly unacceptable. We know criticism comes out way.
“It’s part and parcel of the job, but there’s a line, isn’t there?
“Nobody should be subject to threats, their families shouldn’t be subject to threats, whether that be officials or players.
“We have seen all participants being exposed to those sorts of things.”
Arsenal will be back in action Saturday afternoon, welcoming West Ham to the Emirates. —Sun.
