Video Assistant Referee Lee Mason has left the officials' body PGMOL and will no longer work on Premier League games, following his high-profile error in Arsenal's draw with Brentford.
Mason had worked as 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. However, the 51-year-old, while working solely as a VAR this season, has twice been dropped from working on a round of Premier League fixtures after high-profile errors. The first came in September, when he disallowed a Newcastle goal against Crystal Palace. He was then handed a similar punishment after failing to draw the lines and notice the offside position of Christian Norgaard as the Brentford player made the assist for Ivan Toney's late equaliser at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. PGMOL later apologised for the mistake, which was described as "not acceptable" by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: "That wasn't a human error. That was a big, big, big not conceiving and understanding your job. That's not acceptable, I'm sorry. And that cost Arsenal two points and that's not going to be restored."
PGMOL confirmed on Friday evening that Mason had left the organisation by mutual consent. 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. A PGMOL statement said: "We would like to thank Lee for his dedicated service to the professional game and wish him all the best for the future."
Source: Sky Sports
