David Moyes Claims PGMO Reluctant to Clarify Controversial Calls

The Everton boss has stated that the PGMO is hesitant to communicate with managers because so many refereeing decisions this season have been hard to justify. Moyes said he was left speechless when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a decisive penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Inconsistency in Penalty Calls Brought to Light

Everton were denied a penalty on Saturday for a comparable incident during their home defeat by Arsenal. The manager initially held his tongue on the decision at the time but, following Fulham’s penalty, believes the lack of consistency of referees must be addressed.

“It took my breath away last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” Moyes commented. “It feels as though certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. We seem to be on the latter side of that.”

Past Incidents and Growing Frustration

The coach also pointed to an earlier incident in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was very comparable. “It was later it was given. It is frustrating it wasn’t given on the night and we are reviewing other instances which have been missed,” he added.

Lack of Dialogue with Referee Chiefs

When asked whether he intended to raise the issue with the officiating body, Moyes expressed further frustration. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They don’t make it easy 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 likely discovering it is very difficult to explain things.”

This position from the officials underscores a wider issue of openness and answerability in the sport’s refereeing, as per the long-serving coach.

Jeremy Foster
Jeremy Foster

A former casino manager turned gaming analyst, specializing in slot machine mechanics and player psychology.