Expert referee correspondent, @TheAthletic @TheAthleticFC Media professional | Management consultant | Former Premier League referee and VAR

Oxford, UK
Joined August 2025
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Graham Scott retweeted
Replying to @Refsplaining
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
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Replying to @warrenallsworth
I agree 💯
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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
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Replying to @SamHamlet_
He is asking his assistant VAR what replays are being played by the broadcaster and what visual story they appear to be telling. He cannot hear the commentators or pundits and nor can his AVAR. It may not be the best choice of words but there’s nothing sinister going on
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■ 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
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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…
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No you can’t, but no hard feelings
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Was at this, just after I turned eight. Extraordinary game
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Replying to @Riddley82
Yes, it certainly should
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Replying to @johnwalker_1986
This is nothing to do with VAR but is the FIFA positioning model advocated by Collina. There is an emphasis on being closer to play in around the area to increase credibility, but carries the risk of being in the way, as we see here. I’m old school and don’t like it
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Replying to @spurscc
Not as far as I know. They should still be checked. But in 20 years in the pro game I never found a problem
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Replying to @spurscc
The law was changed recently to make players responsible for their safety, so there’s no need to check them any more
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I never claimed to be any good. He does And it’s definitely offside
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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 ..
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‘Scuffle’
ESPN
@espnOct 10
Texas tried to push the Oklahoma player on top of the football and a scuffle broke out 😯
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I’m neutral on VAR. My ‘cheap shot’ is at those who want it one week and not the next, based on the decision they want/need/like
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Replying to @TomJGarry
It’s not true that referees became full time ‘across the Premier League and EFL’ in 2001. Championship refs went full time less than ten years ago and the other EFL refs are still paid match fees only. This is just as much of a scandal as the shoddy treatment of WSL officials
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