Lee Mason, the former Premier League referee, has left the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after an error in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford led to Mikel Arteta calling for his resignation.
The 51-year-old had been a Premier League referee for 15 years and officiated in 287 top-flight matches. Still, he faced the axe twice this season after high-profile mistakes in games involving Newcastle and Arsenal.
Mason had been working as a video assistant referee this season, and his latest error led to PGMOL apologizing after failing to draw the lines and notice the offside position of Christian Norgaard as the Brentford player made the assist for Ivan Toney’s late equalizer at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta’s comments were damning as he said the error had cost Arsenal two points and that it was “not acceptable,” Mason has now left PGMOL by mutual consent. The loss of Mason is a major blow for the Premier League, as he had been a consistent and reliable referee for several years. He was well-liked by the players and was always willing to have open conversations about decisions, which is why his departure has been met with a certain amount of sadness.
Mason’s career in the professional game saw him officiate in over 500 fixtures after he moved from the Football League in 1998. During his time as a Premier League referee, he officiated in some of the biggest matches in the world.
He was a popular choice with the Premier League clubs and was known for his accurate decisions and ability to manage high-profile matches. Mason’s departure from PGMOL is a major setback for the Premier League, and it will be interesting to see how the organization deals with the situation.
They will likely look to find a suitable replacement as quickly as possible while ensuring that any future decisions are made without errors or inaccuracies.
The Premier League should also be looking to improve its VAR system, which some fans and pundits have criticized for not being accurate enough. It’s clear that the technology needs to be improved if it is relied upon in big matches, and the loss of Mason will only increase the scrutiny of the system.
The Premier League will be hoping that Mason’s departure doesn’t have a long-term impact on the quality of refereeing in the top flight and that they can find a suitable replacement soon.
The organization will also look to ensure that such errors don’t occur again and that the VAR system is up to scratch when making accurate decisions.