David Moyes Claims PGMO Unwilling to Explain Debatable Calls
The Everton boss has stated that the Professional Game Match Officials is reluctant to engage with managers because a high number of refereeing decisions this season have been difficult to explain. Moyes said he “half choked” when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a match-winning penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Lack of Uniformity in Penalty Calls Highlighted
Everton were denied a penalty on Saturday for a similar offence during their home defeat by Arsenal. Moyes did not criticise the decision at the time but, in light of Fulham’s penalty, feels the inconsistency of referees can not be ignored.
“I was half choking last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” said the Everton manager. “There is a sense that certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. It appears we are on the latter side of that.”
Past Incidents and Mounting Discontent
Moyes also referenced an earlier incident in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was quite similar. “It was later it was given. We are disappointed it wasn’t given on the night and we are looking at others which have been missed,” he added.
Lack of Dialogue with Referee Chiefs
Questioned on whether he intended to raise the issue with the officiating body, Moyes expressed additional concern. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They are not accommodating whatever you want. They are unwilling to have a conversation about it really. They might engage, but they don’t want to because they’re finding it probably very difficult to explain things.”
This stance from the officials underscores a broader problem of transparency and answerability in the sport’s refereeing, according to the long-serving coach.
