Howard Webb should be ashamed after ‘terrible’ Everton decision admission
Everton have been on the end of some highly questionable refereeing decisions already this season.
Earlier this month, referee Darren England missed a clear foul in the build-up to Liverpool’s opening goal, in a game which the Toffees would go on to lose 2-1.
And in the same game, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was booked for taking a quick free-kick, prompting widespread confusion among those watching.
The events that unfolded on Monday earned, arguably, even more criticism, however.
Dewsbury-Hall was booked for winning the ball cleanly from Kyle Walker-Peters, with the midfielder dropping to his knees in pure disbelief.
David Moyes reveals PGMOL admission
Dewsbury-Hall will now be suspended for Everton’s clash with Crystal Palace, after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
The Englishman’s absence will be felt by the Toffees, with the midfield battle set to play a key role in Sunday’s game.
David Moyes had already expressed his frustration at the incidents, but the Scot’s anger will only have been intensified after the PGMOL admitted their mistakes.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Moyes said: “We have spoken to them (PGMOL), and I think they’re accepting that both of the yellow cards were wrong.
“It’s a boy who, I think if you look through his history, I think he might have had six bookings last year in total. I think the year before, five bookings. He’s never had these numbers at all.
“The last two decisions are terrible, they really are.”
PGMOL are in desperate need of overhaul
It is a rarity that PGMOL even dare to admit their faults.
The usual course of action involves the avoidance of any accountability for their referees, before Howard Webb is wheeled out to stand next to professional yes man Michael Owen and explain why a decision that every pundit, fan and footballer alike has called incorrect, is actually right.
But the end result is always the same. The recipient of the bad decision – in this case, Everton, who will be without Dewsbury-Hall on Sunday – will simply have to cope with the referee’s mistake.
The individual responsible, meanwhile, faces no questions, no accountability, no punishment, and is put back in place to make next week’s mistake.
| Premier League referees 2025-26 | Matches | Yellow cards | Red cards | Penalties |
| Simon Hooper | 5 | 30 | 2 | 0 |
| Peter Bankes | 5 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| Samuel Barrott | 4 | 22 | 1 | 2 |
| Stuart Attwell | 4 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
| Chris Kavanagh | 6 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
| Anthony Taylor | 5 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
Of course, it is inherently a human trait to make mistakes. Referees, just the same as anyone, cannot always avoid getting something wrong. That is just the nature of football.
However, whilst Jordan Pickford, for example, would face expulsion from the pitch should he keep throwing the ball into his own net, there is no such action for the very upholders of the laws of football in the world’s richest football league.
At some point, enough will be enough. Whether new referees to the level of those who officiate the Champions League – where refereeing is rarely a talking point – should be sought, or those we do already have are given further training, something must change.
And that change begins with the overhauling of the body at the heart of every controversy, PGMOL.
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