Lee Mason dropped as VAR official for weekend fixtures

Lee Mason has not been selected as a VAR for a Premier League match at the weekend following a controversial disallowed goal for Newcastle on Saturday.

Mason, who became a dedicated VAR at the start of last season after retiring as a referee, was in the booth for the Newcastle v Crystal Palace match on Saturday where the home side had a goal ruled out.

On-field referee Michael Salisbury initially awarded an own goal by Tyrick Mitchell to Newcastle but, after a review was recommended by Mason, he gave a foul against Joe Willock who had collided with Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

Replays suggested the collision had been caused by Mitchell shoving Willock in the back and that the goal should have stood.

The Premier League is understood to have asked the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) group responsible for referees for further information on that incident, as well as the decision to disallow Maxwel Cornet's late goal for West Ham at Chelsea on the same afternoon.

Andrew Madley, the referee who disallowed the goal at Stamford Bridge, has been selected to referee the Liverpool v Wolves match on Saturday, while the VAR in the game, Jarred Gillett, will be the referee at the Leicester v Aston Villa clash the same day.

Gillett as VAR had advised Madley to look again at the goal, after spotting a possible foul by West Ham's Jarrod Bowen on Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the build-up.

Hammers boss David Moyes was very unhappy and described the decision to disallow the goal as "scandalous".

Mason was the VAR involved in two controversial red card incidents in January and February of last year, with Mike Dean the on-field referee on both occasions. Mason did not referee a match on the weekend which followed the