Earlier in the VAR era, the Premier League’s video match officials began to notice something strange: at one ground a camera would regularly disappear after 75 minutes. When they asked why, they were told it was needed elsewhere – in readiness for post-match interviews.
If that seems unlikely in the wealthiest domestic football league in the world, then it does illustrate the challenging circumstances in which the referees’ and assistants’ organisation, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), sometimes has to operate.
The primary issue is financial: PGMOL is bleeding money. Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer, will announce new losses next week of £900,000.