Ex-Premier League referee makes Leeds United promotion admission amid 'massive problem' point

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey admits there is an argument to suggest Leeds United's promotion hopes were stunted by poor officiating last season. The comments come after Daniel Farke revealed in April that he had received numerous letters of apology from the PGMOL due to mistakes being made by referees.

Those officiating errors cost Leeds points, Farke believes, and with the club eventually finishing a place and six points below the top two in the Championship, the automatic promotion race could have panned out very differently had those decisions been correct.

The United manager raised the issue once more in May following the club's draw with Norwich City in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals. Junior Firpo saw an effort ruled out for a marginal offside in that contest and after the game Farke could be heard making the case for VAR in the Championship.

Halsey disagrees with that particular notion, but the former official does believe Leeds may have a right to feel hard done by.

“You could argue that most probably those six letters cost Leeds many points, that could have seen them have automatic promotion,” said Halsey told The Real EFL. “It brings an argument. Do we want do we want VAR in the EFL? I would say no, not under its present implementation in the Premier League as it’s so inconsistent.

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“Howard Webb is a good friend of mine, but as the boss of the PGMOL, I would be very unhappy with having six complaints coming from Leeds United about my referees. If Howard is sending those six letters of apology for wrong decisions, then there’s a massive problem with the standard of officiating at that level, isn’t it?

“We have got a problem. I’ve seen some good referees in the Championship. There are some good referees, some good up-and-coming referees all over. But it’s the training, education, leadership, and direction to get these referees up to speed. I think he's got to look at his backroom team.

“When a new manager comes into a football club, He changes the whole backroom. He brings in his own people; Howard has not done that yet. I think that’s what needs to happen. I think the people underneath him who are working are not good enough to bring the referees up to how we used to be a few years ago.”

VAR was in use for the Championship play-off final, but it wasn’t called upon as Leeds missed out on promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Having gone so close last time around, it’s clear that promotion is the aim this season and Farke will be determined to see his side bounce back from their Wembley heartbreak.