VAR official who ‘forgot to draw lines’ and cost Arsenal mutually leaves PGMOL
PGMOL have confirmed referee Lee Mason has left the organisation by mutual consent after numerous errors when he was operating VAR.
Mason forgot to draw the offside lines for Brentford's equaliser against Arsenal over the weekend – which left the then-league leaders dropping points. Christian Norgaard had been in an offside position in the build-up to Ivan Toney's goal.
PGMOL released a statement that read: "PGMOL can confirm that Video Assistant Referee Lee Mason has departed the organisation by mutual consent.
READ MORE: VAR 'forgot to draw offside lines' in check of Ivan Toney's crucial goal vs Arsenal
"Lee was 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. 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.
"We would like to thank Lee for his dedicated service to the professional game and wish him all the best for the future."
PGMOL had offered an apology to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal – who reluctantly accepted the gesture.
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Arteta said: "I will only be satisfied if they give the two points back.
"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.
"There was huge anger and disappointment because that wasn't human error, that was a big misunderstanding of your job. That is not acceptable, I'm sorry. It cost Arsenal two points, we'll have to find those two points somewhere else in the league."
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