February 18, (THEWILL) – Lee Mason, the video assistant referee in charge during the controversial match between Arsenal and Brentford, has left his position as an English Premier League official.
The decision was made by “mutual consent” following the highly-publicised VAR blunder, where Mason failed to detect an offside by Christian Norgaard in the lead-up to Ivan Toney’s equaliser, which was allowed to stand in the 1-1 draw.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) issued an apology to Arsenal, admitting that the error was due to “human error.” The incident sparked widespread criticism and calls for action, prompting the PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, to call a meeting with his officials to address the issue of high-profile errors.
Mason’s departure was confirmed by the PGMOL, who thanked him for his 15-year career in the Premier League, where he officiated in over 287 top-flight matches. THEWILL recalls that Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, had earlier expressed his frustration with the mistake and criticised the PGMOL apology.
The incident came amidst further controversy over VAR in the Crystal Palace versus Brighton and Hove Albion match, where another offside decision was called into question. John Brookes, the VAR for that game, was subsequently stood down for two upcoming matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
