“Chaos Erupts as PGMOL Insider Blasts Rookie VAR for Shocking Newcastle Penalty Call Against Ipswich Town – Fans Demand Answers!”
Keith Hackett has called out VAR official Matthew Wilkes after Newcastle United were awarded a penalty against Ipswich Town.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that Julio Encisco’s challenge on Jacob Murphy did not meet the threshold for a “clear and obvious error” after Michael Salisbury waved away penalty claims.
Ben Johnson had already received two yellow cards, sealing the Tractor Boys’ relegation fate at St James’ Park on Saturday, 26 April, and Alex Palmer had already wrongly avoided embarrassment for Ipswich.
However, the seal was finally broken when Alexander Isak slotted away a penalty kick on the stroke of half-time, but Hackett is not absolutely certain that the correct decision was reached by the officials.
Michael Salisbury’s decision overruled by VAR in Newcastle United win
Seemingly having a good view of the initial incident, Salisbury decided against awarding a spot-kick to the Magpies, but after a VAR review, the referee was advised to take a second look.
Attention has now been drawn to VAR official, Wilkes, who has yet to officiate in England’s top tier and is far more experienced in the Championship, a league which does not use VAR technology.
With Dan Burn and William Osula also notching goals against the 10 men of Ipswich, the decision does not look to have made a massive impact at St James’ Park, but it is certainly still a good point to raise.
VAR controversy rears its ugly head at St James’ Park
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the challenge on Murphy, the former referee said:
“The referee does have a clear view on this and clearly believed that there was no offence. Viewing the incident, the referee has made a judgment call. It does not meet the threshold for a clear and obvious error.
“No penalty kick for me. In the Newcastle United game, the VAR is, in fact, a Championship referee. He has not officiated a Premier League game.
“His intervention to determine that the referee had made a clear and obvious error is a poor judgment call. He is lacking experience at this level.”