Premier League referee stood down from duty with investigation launched
Anthony Taylor has been spared from officiating a Premier League match this upcoming weekend following the online abuse he encountered after Saturday's game between Bournemouth and Chelsea.
In the contentious fixture at the Vitality Stadium, Taylor was in charge on the field, where Chelsea narrowly secured a victory with a last-minute strike from Christopher Nkunku. Yet it was Taylor who found himself under intense scrutiny for issuing an unprecedented total of 14 yellow cards to players, as well as an additional two cards to members of the coaching teams.
Post-match, Taylor became the target of repugnant abuse on social platforms, with some abhorrent individuals even threatening his life and that of his family. The Mail has made it known that the Premier League intends to conduct an inquiry into the harassment, with Taylor receiving backing from PGMOL.
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For the forthcoming round of Premier League games, Taylor will not take up his position as a referee; instead, he is scheduled to act as the fourth official in two separate matchesSouthampton's showdown with Ipswich on Saturday, and then once more on the following day when Brighton face Nottingham Forest.
Previously beleaguered by irate Roma supporters after their Europa League final loss in 2023, Taylor has appealed for fans to exercise "more empathy" towards referees. In a distressing episode in Budapest airport, the referee faced physical aggression from Roma's followers while accompanied by his family, after the match which saw Sevilla emerge triumphant through a penalty shootout.
In a reflective moment on The High Performance podcast, Taylor opened up about his hopes for the future: "Just more understanding and more empathy. So again, yes mistakes are made and we're far from perfect. Far from perfect. But there's many other facets that contribute to the result of a football match."
He urged more introspection before pointing fingers, saying, "And so maybe reflect. Before you start trying to blame an individual, maybe try and consider. Very difficult I appreciate objectively after a team's loss. Consider the things that go into what's been decided and try to understand why something has been done."
Liverpool.com says: We are all humans and we make all mistakes. And regardless if we did or didin't, no one, no matter their profession, deserves abuse. It's not just referees, the players have suffered abuse for too long and the Premier League must do something about it.