Premier League Referees' Allegiances to be Public

In a bid to uphold the integrity of football, Premier League referees' personal allegiances will be made public this season, according to Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer for PGMOL. This move follows Nottingham Forest's criticism of the appointment of Stuart Attwell, a known Luton fan, as VAR during their controversial match against Everton, where they felt three penalty claims were unjustly denied. Forest's complaints led to a Football Association charge for implying bias against the referee. Webb emphasized that officials must declare their interests before the season and update them as needed, with all declarations made publicly available. This initiative aims to ensure transparency and mitigate any potential conflicts of interest in officiating decisions. The PGMOL will review the declared interests when making match appointments to prevent any perceived bias.