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Video assistant referee Lee Mason has departed the PGMOL after controversial blunder in the game between Arsenal and Brentford.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has announced that video assistant referee Lee Mason has left the refereeing organisation by mutual consent.
Lee Mason last took charge of the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Brentford and faced huge backlash for failing to pick out an offside incident that led to Brentford's equaliser.
Lee Mason leaves PGMOL
PGMOL issued a statement via their official Twitter account this evening stating that VAR Lee Mason has left the organisation by mutual consent.
The organisation thanked Lee Mason for his 15 years of service, officiating over 500 games, with 287 of them as the on-field referee.
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“PGMOL can confirm that Video Assistant Referee Lee Mason has departed the organisation by mutual consent," PGMOL said via their Twitter account.
"Lee was a Premier League referee for 15 years and oversaw 287 top-flight matches during that time, with his last coming during the closing stages of the 2021/22 season. His full career in the professional game saw the 51-year-old officiate in over 500 fixtures after he progressed to the Football League in 1998.
“We would like to thank Lee for his dedicated service to the professional game and wish him all the best for the future.”
The exit follows a publicised stance of accountability by the PGMOL, now led by Howard Webb. In the same vein, the PGMOL issued an official apology to Arsenal and Brighton, who were also victims of VAR "human errors" in another match of the same gameweek.
Lee Mason’s blunder
Arsenal slipped up in their title charge, drawing 1-1 against Brentford on February 11. Leandro Trossard put Arsenal ahead in the 66th minute before Ivan Toney equalised for the Bees in the 74th minute.
Following Toney’s equaliser, a fair amount of time was dedicated to a VAR check led by Lee Mason to determine the legality of the goal. Upon conclusion of the check, the 51-year-old ruled the goal to be clean.
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However, Christian Norgaard, who directly assisted Toney’s goal, was offside in the build-up, and Mason missed it, thereby costing Arsenal two points for something the PGMOL deemed to be ‘human error’.
Mason was not allowed to officiate any matches in the following gameweek; he has now left the organisation.
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