Paul Tierney, who was at the center of a dropped ball controversy in Nottingham Forest’s game against Liverpool last Saturday, will not take charge of a Premier League game this weekend.
Tierney was criticized after failing to pass a dropped ball to Forest in an attacking area after stopping the game due to a head injury to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.
Forest regained possession after Tierney’s error, but conceded a goal in the 99th minute that cost them a valuable point in the race to stay in the Premier League.
Tierney has been selected as a video assistant referee (VAR) for the Arsenal v Brentford game on Saturday evening.
Sources close to Professional Game Match Officials Ltd insist Tierney has not been dropped.
He is one of a group of officials who regularly rotate between referees and VARs.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who is employed by Forest on a consultancy basis as a referee analyst, told BBC Radio 5 Live at the weekend: “(Forest) should have had the ball back.” If the referee stops play, he has to have the ball return to the team in possession of the ball. That was forest.
“When (the ball) was given to the goalkeeper and Liverpool scored after that, you can see why (Forest) is upset,” Clattenburg added.
“I haven’t spoken to the referee – I’ll leave that to the club. I went to the referee’s dressing room (after the game) but he (Tierney) wouldn’t let me.”
Tierney was criticized after the final whistle
(Getty Images)
It is understood PGMOL has not received any further correspondence from Forest regarding Saturday’s incident beyond Clattenburg’s comments.
Tierney sent off Forest’s first-team coach Steven Reid after he walked onto the pitch in protest at the end of the game. Forest later denied reports that club owner Evangelos Marinakis had to be restrained by security staff in the tunnel.
