Premier League video referee Lee Mason has sensationally left his position in the wake of a disastrous error that saw Arsenal concede a crucial equaliser from Brentford last weekend.
Lee Mason had been a Premier League referee for 15 years, taking charge of 287 games in that span, had this season worked only as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
But he has now left the officials’ body PGMOL by ‘mutual consent’ after failing to rule out Brentford’s goal against Arsenal for off-side.
It was his second high-profile error of the season, with the 51-year-old also being dropped from officiating a round of fixtures for a clear mistake in September when he ruled out a Newcastle strike against Crystal Palace.
After failing to notice Brentford’s Christian Norgaard was off-side when he assisted Ivan Toney for the late equaliser against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend, Mason has now departed.
The draw meant Arsenal dropped two points in the title race, and were subsequently overtaken by Manchester City when Pep Guardiola’s men beat Arsenal midweek.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was furious at the mistake.
“We ended the [Brentford] game, after analysing it with the evidence and images, with a huge anger and disappointment,” he said.
“Because 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.”
He added: “I appreciate the sincere, genuine apologies, but it doesn’t take away the fact we have two points fewer. Everyone makes mistakes but that was something else. I wasn’t having it, the club wasn’t having it.”
The referees body PGMOL apologised for the ‘significant error in the VAR process’ – with it revealed that Mason failed to draw the virtual lines across the pitch to check for an off-side on Mason. The VAR check on the controversial goal had already taken two minutes 26 seconds.
