UK-born Zimbabwean referee Farai Hallam was dropped from the EPL roster, but not as a punishment.
Hallam took charge of his first-ever top-flight game between Manchester City and Wolves three weeks ago.
His performance attracted controversy, with City coach Pep Guardiola criticising one of Hallam’s decisions. Guardiola was incensed after his side were denied a penalty following a handball incident.
The incident was referred to VAR, which recommended that Hallam review the monitor. However, the referee maintained his initial judgement that it was not a penalty, stating that the defender’s arms were in a natural position when the ball struck him.
The match official was left out of the subsequent round and instead officiated in the English Championship. He returned to the EPL centre stage on Wednesday to officiate the match between Crystal Palace and Burnley.
According to a report by Philip Buckingham in The Athletic, the referee was dropped “as part of his development.”
Buckingham wrote, while explaining the Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) stance on the official: “Hallam’s ability has seen him fast-tracked this far, and Guardiola’s gripe has not altered perceptions of his abilities. A week back in the Championship, overseeing Southampton’s win at Stoke City on January 31, was considered part of his development, rather than a punishment.
“Alongside others, such as Thomas Kirk, Hallam is what former World Cup final ref Howard Webb, head of PGMOL, has been looking for since taking up that position in the summer of 2022.
“The launch of the Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP) devised a strategy to accelerate the careers of the best young officials, while also targeting underrepresented groups to improve diversity within the refereeing body. Hallam, whose mother is from Zimbabwe, has previously spoken of his pride in being mixed race.”
Hallam is expected to take charge of Chelsea’s visit to Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday.
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