Expert referee correspondent, @TheAthletic @TheAthleticFC Media professional | Management consultant | Former Premier League referee and VAR
Oxford, UK
Joined August 2025
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I don’t get this one. I understand the ref’s call in real time but don’t see violent conduct on the replays, only a frustrated, aggressive act from a player on the receiving end of two extremely robust tackles in ten minutes. I’d have rescinded the red and waived the suspension
The FA has confirmed that Arsenal’s appeal against Max Dowman’s red card has been dismissed by an independent regulatory commission.
The 16-year-old will now be suspended for the upcoming Premier League matches against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle United.
🔗 nyti.ms/4kmFMQK
Good to see the KMI panel has drawn a line in the sand by saying Botman should have been sent off against Villa. I have criticised their weakness on such tackles in the past so credit where it’s due
Serious foul play should be judged more on intensity than the point of contact
Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel - Match Round 7 outcomes.
premierleague.com/en/news/47…
Catch me discussing this on @tSHandJ from 2.45pm tomorrow (Wednesday) on @talkSPORT
Feel free to send in your questions to Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs
@TheAthleticFC
nytimes.com/athletic/7729009…
What it's like being fourth official to Mikel Arteta, whether Cole Palmer should have seen red, and the thorny issue of English refs doing games in the UAE were all in my postbag this week
Graham Scott retweeted
Ex-Premier League referee Graham Scott (@Refsplaining) has shared his verdict on whether Mikel Arteta is being unfairly targeted for his touchline antics:
I’d say Mikel Arteta is in the spotlight because Arteta has decided to make an issue of Arteta’s treatment.
Arteta is in complete control of his own behaviour on the touchline, from where he chooses to stand to how he decides to react.
He is the one employing an analyst to review footage of the Premier League’s technical areas. He did not have to reveal this.
The Premier League could stop all of this by fixing a camera on the benches and fining miscreants every time they step out of line (literally). But the league likes the pantomime and has never minded the officials being cast as villains, so a change of approach is unlikely.
🔗 nyti.ms/47NLV11
nytimes.com/athletic/7729009…
What it's like being fourth official to Mikel Arteta, whether Cole Palmer should have seen red, and the thorny issue of English refs doing games in the UAE were all in my postbag this week
nytimes.com/athletic/7702321…
It felt like a quiet week for the refs - to me at least - so here’s your chance to ask less topical questions too
Graham Scott retweeted
This KMI system is broken. If 2/5 judges say it wasn’t a red card, then surely VAR was wrong to intervene even if 3/5 think it should have. Based on logic that VAR shouldn’t intervene on a split opinion decision
Sat 10: Referee makes a decision so obviously wrong that the VAR tells him to change it
Thurs 14: Expert panel tells the FA that the VAR was obviously wrong
Wed 20: Premier League says the VAR was obviously right and the ref was obviously wrong
From now on: Confusion. Obviously
Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel - Match Round 6 outcomes.
premierleague.com/en/news/47…
Graham Scott retweeted
■ How did Sven Botman avoid a red card?
■ Were Rogers or Garner lucky?
■ Can players kick the ball away now?
■ What are the rules over crowding the ref?
In his latest Ask the Ref column, former EPL referee @Refsplaining answers your questions.
🔗 nyti.ms/4k5w2dA
Graham Scott retweeted
A Premier League weekend of ferocious tackles and pretty lenient refereeing. We’re told that this is what fans want, which is possibly true. But the long-term effect of too much “letting the game flow” is actually that games don’t "flow" at all. ⬇️
nytimes.com/athletic/7704488…
I don’t know whether @mikeparry8 is really a ‘serious broadcaster’ but if so he should be stood down for a week to reflect on this bone-headed (his word) post
Another utterly, ridiculous and bone-headed decision by VAR effectivel telling the ref to rub out Everton's goal .. They tried to do @Everton for clattering the keeper but they couldn't make that stand so they invented offside. What a disgraceful episode 👎 🥶 Scrap VAR ..
‘We should scrap VAR and just accept refs make mistakes sometimes’
Meanwhile…
West Ham suffer 'one of the worst decisions all season' as fans beg for VAR
thesun.co.uk/sport/40637014/…
Graham Scott retweeted
The KMI panel was supposed to improve the scrutiny of refereeing.
It hasn’t worked out that way.
This is what you need to know about the panel and why it isn’t working, including:
▪️ Who is really on the panel
▪️ How it feels to be judged post-match
▪️ Explaining the voting - and what training panellists receive
▪️ How it can be improved
📝 @refsplaining
nyti.ms/3Tjb2VY
Graham Scott retweeted
THE
FOOTBALL CLICHES
PODCAST
with ex-Premier League ref @Refsplaining
🔊 The "card happy" threshold
🔊 The non-evolution of anti-referee chants
🔊 Jay Bothroyd: chief referee assessor
🔊 Niche refereeing body language: deciphered
🔊 AND MUCH MORE
pod.fo/e/671d29
Graham Scott retweeted
Erling Haaland’s controversial winner in the recent Manchester derby reignited the debate over VAR in football⚽️
@JohnBennettBBC, former Premier League official @Refsplaining & analyst @MikeLahoud examine🔟ways VAR could be improved 👇
bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0pd08…
Graham Scott retweeted
🚨 NEW: Graham Scott | Life As A Premier League Referee, VAR & More
He pulls back the curtain behind Premier League refereeing, clears up the common misconceptions, and explains the biggest challenges with the current referee culture.
Watch now! 👉 youtu.be/1pmGLNF3wjw
