PGMOL denies Halsey claims of being asked to lie in match reports

Had referee Andre Marriner seen the incident and included it in his report, it could not have been reviewed.

Halsey has been the centre of a storm after accusing referees’ body PGMOL – Professional Games Match Officials Limited – of requesting referees state they had not seen controversial incidents in games following the decision to ban Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero for three matches.

And while discussing the situation on Twitter, Halsey – who retired in 2013 – claimed that he had been asked in the past to say he had not seen some incidents, even if that was not the case.

He has since claimed he was encouraged to say he had not seen Blackburn midfielder Steven N’Zonzi appearing to elbow Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross in 2011, despite awarding a free-kick at the time.

The PGMOL was formed in 2001 to improve refereeing standards and provides officials for across the Premier League, Football League and FA competitions, receiving funding from all three bodies. However, he claims he was put under pressure to say he hadn’t seen the incident.

“Mike Riley said I would be getting a phone call from Tarik Shamel, Head of On-Field Regulation at the FA”, he wrote.

Halsey admitted that “Tarik left it up to me to decide” but the official said he felt under pressure to toe the party line or face a suspension.

“When I got the call I said I was still happy – but they said my bosses weren’t happy”.

“I was furious but no matter what industry you are in, you do what your bosses say”.

Halsey was quick to make it clear though that it was not the Premier League or the FA who had instructed him to lie, but the PGMOL. I’m honest but what can you do when the management tell you to do something? No referee would have sent off for that, but Lee came under pressure to report that he hadn’t seen it but would have given a red card if he had seen it.