Bees United Contributor
I'm not a former referee, nor do I claim to be an officiating or Video Assistant Referee (VAR) expert. But one thing I can claim is that I had the privilege of working alongside one of the top referees and footballing intellectual minds: Howard Webb, the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) chief operating officer, who has now completed his first season overseeing the Premier League officials.
When Webb was general manager at the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) in the USA, I was working in Major League Soccer's communications department in New York City. MLS was one of the first leagues to fully integrate VAR in professional matches (2017), before the EPL's launch (2019-20). Having seen the initial products of VAR at both MLS and the EPL, I can pinpoint some noticeable trends taking shape in the Premier League.
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