Paul Tierney, who found himself embroiled in a controversy during last Saturday’s Nottingham Forest versus Liverpool game over a mishandled dropped ball situation, has been sidelined from officiating a Premier League game this weekend.
The incident occurred when Tierney did not execute a dropped ball for Forest in a favorable position after halting play due to a head injury to Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate.
Despite Forest eventually regaining control, they suffered a loss due to a goal in the final moments, missing out on a crucial point for their Premier League survival.
For the upcoming Arsenal versus Brentford match on Saturday, Tierney has been appointed as the video assistant referee (VAR).
Insiders from the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd maintain that Tierney’s absence from field refereeing is not a demotion. He is part of the rotation of officials who switch roles between VAR and on-field refereeing.
Mark Clattenburg, a former Premier League referee now working with Forest as a referee analyst, expressed on BBC Radio 5 Live that Forest was entitled to regain possession when play was stopped.
Clattenburg pointed out the frustration Forest felt when Liverpool scored following the contentious decision. Although Clattenburg refrained from discussing the matter directly with Tierney, he did attempt to visit the referee’s room post-match but was denied entry.
It’s reported that the PGMOL hasn’t received any formal complaints from Forest about the incident, aside from Clattenburg’s remarks. The match also saw Forest’s first-team coach Steven Reid sent off by Tierney for entering the pitch to protest after the game ended.
Following the incident, there were unconfirmed reports about Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, being held back by security in the tunnel, which the club later denied.
