MARK CLATTENBURG: Jon Moss’ appointment for the Championship play-off final is an odd one… he cannot let sentimentality affect his judgement before he retires, and his Yorkshire ties may cause fans to gripe
- Referee Jon Moss will retire after officiating the Championship play-off final
- His appointment is an odd one for several reasons, with a risk of sentimentality
- Moss must remain level-headed, especially with so much at stake in the match
Jon Moss’s appointment for the Championship play-off final between Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest is an odd one for two reasons.
The first reason is when I was retiring from refereeing, I was told I couldn’t oversee a game with anything riding on it because with it being my last, the PGMOL couldn’t risk sentimentality clouding my mind when I had a job to do.
I understood that. I didn’t want to impact the integrity of the competition, so my Premier League farewell in 2017 was West Brom against Leicester – very much a midtable clash between 10th and 12th.
Jon Moss’ appointment for the Championship play-off final is an odd one for several reasons
Yet Moss is now going to be overseeing the biggest game in English football, possibly the most high-pressure match an official can be handed given promotion to the Premier League is what’s at stake.
The second reason is the 51-year-old lives in Leeds. With his Yorkshire ties, I’m not sure it’s the wisest move to have him referee a match of this magnitude involving Huddersfield. Especially given Forest’s gripes with the refereeing of late.
VAR is there as a safety net at Wembley but if anything controversial happens, it gives the critics ammunition. Moss will appreciate the trust his bosses are showing in him, but I’m not sure the refereeing body have helped themselves or their official here.
He cannot let sentimentality slip into his decisions, and his Yorkshire ties may lead to griping
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