daniel chigunweReferee Michael Oliver will officiate a Premier League game this weekend despite facing death threats and ‘abhorrent’ abuse after controversially sending off Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, it has been con-firmed.
Oliver (39), and his family were subjected to threats in the wake of last Saturday’s match at Wolves and the police have launched an investigation, with the unit leading the probe already in communication with social media companies. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for officiating in England, said that they have involved the police after Oliver, his partner and their young child were targeted by sickening abuse from anonymous online trolls.
Keith Hackett, the former PGMOL head, suggested that Oliver should have stood down.
“I would say to Michael Oliver, I think you need a rest and I think you are not going to see another game in the Premier League for a couple of weeks,” he told talkSPORT.
But Oliver is said to have told his PGMOL and UEFA bosses that he wanted to carry on and he will take charge of Ipswich v Southampton on Saturday.
He has also been given the rescheduled Merseyside derby fixture at Goodison Park on February 12, the first game having been postponed due to Storm Darragh.
As revealed by Mail Sport, when Oliver woke on Sunday morning, the day after Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Molineux, he discovered there was a police car in his street.
He and his partner, Laura, were told the police were there to check on their safety. There had been a death threat made against Oliver and his two-year-old daughter, and the Metropolitan Police passed the issue on to the referee’s local force. Three weeks ago, Oliver was also told by a troll that they would blow up his car with his family inside it. The Paper has claimed people previously turned up at his house and shouted abuse through his letterbox.
A statement from PGMOL reads: “We are appalled by the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver fol-lowing the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal fixture.
“No official should be subject to any form of abuse, let alone the abhorrent attacks aimed at Michael and his family over the past 24 hours.
“The police are aware, and a number of investigations have commenced.
“We are supporting Michael, and all those affected, and are determined to tackle this unacceptable behaviour.
“Sadly, this is not the first time a match official has been forced to deal with threats in recent times,” went on the statement.
Oliver had shown Arsenal teenage Lewis-Skelly a straight red card during the first half of the match at Molineux after his cynical challenge on Wolves’ Matt Doherty. — Dailymail
Online Reporter
