Veteran referee and PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted that a key mistake was made during the refereeing of the game between Arsenal and Manchester City over the weekend.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited head, who refereed in the Premier League and various international tournaments for over a decade, was speaking on the latest episode of Match Officials Mic’d Up: the new show which digs into officiating and VAR controversies of top-flight football matches.
While the latest edition covered various decisions from recent football matches — including breaking his silence on the highly controversial VAR error and subsequent leaked audio from the Spurs vs Liverpool the week prior — one instance they also chose to focus on was Mateo Kovačić‘s potential sending off,
The Croatian midfielder, who signed for City this summer, brought down Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard with what Webb dubbed “clearly a poor tackle”, going on to say that “if a red card had been given by Michael Oliver on the day it would have been a very straightforward check complete”. Instead, he only saw yellow.
🗣 "[Michael Oliver] doesn't want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting."
PGMOL chief Howard Webb admits Manchester City's Mateo Kovačić was "extremely fortunate" not to be sent off against Arsenal 🟥 pic.twitter.com/nrSjokPGHE
Howard Webb smirks as he admits the City midfielder was very lucky to stay on the pitch against Arsenal.
As the 52-year-old attempts to explain to former England striker and co-presenter, Michael Owen, the angle and position of the foot in relation to wear it lands on Ødegaard’s ankle was slightly different to that of Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, who saw a straight red after VAR overturned an initial booking just the day before.
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Insisting that the video referees at Stockley Park didn’t see enough to correct the first official in this case and didn’t want to risk “re-refereeing” the game, he ultimately said he could see why the first decision stood despite protests in the stadium.
However, as anyone who watched the game will know, just 15 seconds later, Kovačić put in a similarly poor challenge on Declan Rice and despite a chorus of home fans chanting “off, off!”, as well as Gary Neville saying “he’s in trouble” during the commentary, the 29-year-old still somehow stayed on the pitch.
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Here’s the second mistimed tackle just moments later:
When asked by Owen if he thought he was lucky to stay on after this second rash lunge almost immediately after the previous one, Webb said that although by the laws of the game “the VAR obviously can’t get involved with second yellows… he was an extremely fortunate player to stay on the field.”
Arguing the other side a little and reassuring his belief that Michael Oliver is “one of the best referees in the world” at present, he did go on to say that the ref will no doubt go back and review his own decision in this case and that he was obviously trying to avoid “a negative impact on the game by overreacting”.
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At the start of this new Premier League season, rule changes included referees being told to be more lenient when it comes to challenges and, where possible, to refrain from stopping play for some challenges in order to let the play run more freely.
It was the only incident that arose during the game either, as a touchline tiff also occurred just after full-time with stadium footage shedding new light on what exactly happened.
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
11th October 2023 
