West Ham’s David Moyes and Declan Rice escape FA charge for furious VAR criticism
The FA decided not to sanction David Moyes and Declan Rice for their remarks after West Ham’s disallowed equalizer at Chelsea on Saturday. However, the Hammers manager might still face charges for reportedly attacking the referee.
The VAR called referee Andrew Madley to review Maxwel Cornet’s potential equalizer at Stamford Bridge, but the effort was chalked off for what officials now admit was a foul by Jarrod Bowen on goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. As a result, West Ham was denied a point they earned.
After being ordered by the Premier League to conduct an investigation, the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) has acknowledged that decision and the call to deny a Newcastle victory against Crystal Palace were errors.
After seeing the angry Moyes and Rice’s post-game remarks, the FA determined that neither of them met the requirements for a disciplinary charge.
However, Moyes is alleged to have gone into the referee’s office following the game, and the FA was awaiting Madley’s report this morning before deciding whether or not to punish the Scot.
When Madley sought advice from the pitch-side monitor after the on-field referee saw no problem with the goal in real time, VAR Jarred Gillett encouraged Madley to do so. Moyes called the decision “scandalous” and “absolutely awful” and said he had “lost faith” in the system.
