Former refs’ chief Keith Hackett has called for referee Michael Oliver to be removed from duty and claims English officials “are the laughing stock in Europe.”
Hackett also advocates for a maximum 120-second VAR review limit, following an excessively long 8min 11sec review that disallowed a Milos Kerkez ‘goal’ for offside during Bournemouth’s FA Cup win against Wolves.
Oliver faced criticism from Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish for not even awarding a foul when Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts dangerously kicked Jean-Philippe Mateta in the head, resulting in the Palace striker being hospitalized.
VAR intervention by Nick Hopton was needed during Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round game to persuade Oliver to send off Roberts.
This incident coincided with the failure of the new Semi-Automated Offside Technology at Vitality Stadium – on its debut weekend in competitive matches.
This prompted a strong rebuke from former PGMOL head Hackett towards his successor Howard Webb, stating: “We are the laughing stock in Europe, and the decline is ongoing.”
“I question whether PGMOL is capable of providing top-quality officiating.”
“A challenge that hospitalized a player was missed by the referee; an offside decision taking EIGHT minutes? It’s tea time for the players! How does this improve the game?”
An angry Parish described Roberts’ challenge as life-endangering and “the most reckless challenge I’ve ever witnessed.”
Mateta received 25 stitches for a severe ear laceration and underwent head scans before being discharged from the hospital.
Parish expressed his frustration: “It was a terrible challenge, and I’m baffled why the referee needed to consult the VAR screen.”
Oliver, 40, was also heavily criticized for a mistake at Molineux in January, where he wrongly sent off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly for a trip, a decision later overturned on appeal.
Listen to Michael Oliver’s conversation with VAR over Lewis-Skelly red card as Howard Webb says referee got it wrong
Hackett insisted Oliver “needs to rest, at least a couple of weeks off.”
“That was awful officiating. The referee was absent. The red card should have been immediate, no hesitation.”
Bournemouth and Wolves fans chanted: “F*** VAR,” and “it’s not football anymore,” during the lengthy VAR delay.
Hackett commented on social media: “This should be a turning point.
“Why didn’t the Premier League/PGMOL invest in a tested and proven SAOS system?
“Why implement it at this stage of the FA Cup?
“We must impose a time limit on VAR reviews. Two minutes maximum – then revert to the referee’s original decision.”
Hackett, 80, also argues that if referees rely on VAR input before acting, “we might as well use Tarot cards or bingo balls.”
Hackett previously described the £26 million PGMOL as “being run by amateurs acting like a Mayfair Gentlemen’s Club.”
He concluded: “VAR is ineffective, get rid of it.”
