Share

English officials to be recorded

London - Top level English soccer officials will now have their match day communications recorded in the wake of the Mark Clattenburg case.

Referee chiefs are looking to avoid a repeat of the incident, with Clattenburg being cleared by the English FA on Thursday of racially abusing Chelsea's Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel after a lengthy probe failed to find evidence of wrongdoing.

"To reduce the risk of an episode of this nature being repeated PGMOL will introduce recording of the referees' communication system on a private basis," Mike Riley, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited which administers top level English referees, said in a statement.

English Premier League match officials, including referees, linesmen and the fourth official, are currently all connected through headsets and microphones to help them communicate above stadium noise but conversations had previously not been recorded.

"Refereeing in England moves on stronger. Our referees have a reputation throughout the world for their professionalism, impartiality and integrity," Riley added

Clattenburg was refereeing a Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United on October 28 when Mikel's Brazilian team-mate Ramires, whose first language is not English, alleged he heard Clattenburg say to Mikel: "Shut up you monkey".

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2239 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE