The Everton manager Claims PGMO Unwilling to Explain Controversial Decisions

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

Inconsistency 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, 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,” said the Everton manager. “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

Moyes also referenced an previous case in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was quite similar. “I think eventually 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.

Communication Breakdown with Officiating Authorities

Questioned on whether he intended to raise the issue with the officiating body, Moyes expressed further frustration. “I don’t really know,” 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 position from the PGMO underscores a wider issue of transparency and answerability in the game’s officiating, as per the experienced manager.

Joshua Reid
Joshua Reid

A technology strategist with over a decade of experience in digital innovation and startup ecosystems across Europe.