David Moyes Asserts PGMO Unwilling to Clarify Controversial Calls
David Moyes has claimed that the Professional Game Match Officials is hesitant to communicate with managers because a high number of refereeing decisions this season have been hard to justify. Moyes said he “half choked” when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a decisive penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Lack of Uniformity in Spot-Kick Decisions 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.
“It took my breath away last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” Moyes commented. “There is a sense that certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. We seem to be 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 very comparable. “I think eventually it was given. We are disappointed it wasn’t given on the night and we are reviewing other instances which have been missed,” he added.
Lack of Dialogue with Officiating Authorities
Questioned on whether he intended to present his case with the officiating body, Moyes expressed additional concern. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They don’t make it easy whatever you want. They don’t want to have a conversation about it really. They will have, but they don’t want to because they’re likely discovering it is very difficult to explain things.”
This stance from the officials underscores a broader problem of openness and answerability in the sport’s refereeing, according to the long-serving coach.