Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has urged referee Paul Tierney to “concentrate more on his responsibilities,” stating he plans to reach out to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after Tierney inadvertently positioned himself in the midst of Chelsea’s pre-match huddle on Saturday.
Prior to their Premier League match against Newcastle, the Chelsea team gathered in the center circle for their final motivational remarks before the kickoff.
Chelsea ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, thanks to an early goal from Anthony Gordon.
The pre-match huddle has been a routine practice for Rosenior’s squad in recent weeks.
However, on this occasion, referee Tierney found himself standing in the center circle and ended up inadvertently joining the huddle while holding the match ball.
This created a rather humorous yet unusual scene before the game, as Chelsea players had to speak to one another across Tierney’s presence.
Despite the light-hearted moment, Rosenior was displeased with Tierney’s actions and announced his intention to consult PGMOL for clarification on the matter.
“I always show respect to the game. My players decided to huddle around the ball to demonstrate unity and leadership,” Rosenior explained.
“That decision was made collaboratively by the leadership group and the team. Their huddle was in no way disrespectful to the opponents.
“If Paul had focused more on his role, which is to make accurate decisions, we would have gotten a penalty today. It’s clear that Woltemade fouled Cole Palmer in the box.”
“I didn’t talk to Paul after the match because I didn’t believe it was appropriate. However, I will be in touch with PGMOL to seek clarification on what transpired.”
Andy Davies, a former Premier League referee and current ESPN contributor, remarked that the situation reflected poorly on Tierney and the Premier League.
“The more I observe the pre-match huddle with referee Paul Tierney remaining stationary in the center circle, the less I understand why he chose not to move and let them have their moment,” he commented to ESPN.
“Tierney was surely aware that Chelsea’s huddle was a common practice, so why did he not reposition himself to a less intrusive location?
“While the Chelsea players appeared unfazed by Tierney’s presence, the overall optics are not favorable for PGMOL, the Premier League, or Tierney himself.”
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Information from PA contributed to this report.