Ex-refs chief: Rob Jones should be suspended as Chelsea vs Fulham controversy takes new twist
Howard Webb must sanction Rob Jones following his role in Joshua King’s disallowed goal against Chelsea, according to Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that Fulham’s disallowed goal at Stamford Bridge should have further repercussions, following the punishment of VAR official Michael Salisbury.
Marco Silva was fuming with the decision, and understandably so, as the Cottagers went on to lose 2-0 on Saturday, 30 August, to a couple of controversial goals.
Reacting to the incident, the PGMOL was forced to apologise to Fulham, with Salisbury being taken off VAR and replaced for the huge clash between Liverpool and Arsenal the following day.
Howard Webb wants Rob Jones suspended after Fulham’s disallowed goal
This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official and former professional referee Keith Hackett.
The PGMOL and Webb have gone quiet since punishing Salisbury, replacing him for a huge job at Anfield, while Jones has come out of the game relatively unscathed despite making the final decision.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal for Liverpool against the Gunners, with very little controversy in the game.
Hackett is keen for referees to take more initiative when going to the pitch-side monitor, and while they should still take VAR’s opinion into consideration, it should not sway their decision.
That is exactly what appeared to happen between Chelsea and Fulham, and with five days remaining until the Premier League season resumes, supporters are still waiting to see what happens to Jones.
Rob Jones must miss out on the next round of Premier League fixtures
Hackett spoke exclusively to Football Insider about a potential punishment for Jones, saying: “We’ll know this weekend, with the Premier League kicking off again. The ultimate decision maker is the referee.
“The PGMOL have admitted, although it had to be squeezed out of them, that the Fulham goal should have stood against Chelsea.
“The scoring of goals in the Premier League is difficult already, and the last thing you want is the referee to strike one out. Get the system right. Encourage referees to make the decision when going to the pitch-side monitor.
“They can go against what VAR is telling them. Did Rob Jones look at it properly? He made the decision. He made the call. So, for me, he’d be sitting on his hands this coming weekend, no matter what position he’s in. Accountability is important.”