Former FIFA referee Keith Hackett has slammed the Premier League’s KMI panel for their latest Everton verdict.
It was announced on Friday that Everton should have been awarded a penalty for handball against West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.
This is a verdict that will surprise absolutely no one out there, but it only intensifies frustrations on Merseyside with the officials.
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David Moyes was furious with the KMI panel’s verdict and Hackett has been left stunned that one member thought the on-field decision was correct.
Former referee perplexed by KMI panel’s Everton verdict
Everton were informed they should have had a penalty in their defeat against West Ham, with the panel voting 4:1 in their favour.
However, the one member who did not vote in Everton’s favour has left many baffled as to their logic behind their decision.
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“My worry is that one person in the panel did not see this as handball. I hope that person receives some operational advice and is not invited into that panel in future,” Hackett said on X.
The announcement from the KMI panel has almost offered more frustration than the decision from Stuart Attwell and Michael Salisbury at the London Stadium.
It must also be noted that the KMI panel believe Everton have benefitted from incorrect decisions this season, which will frustrate fans even further.
Indeed, it is claimed that the number of incorrect refereeing decisions made this season favouring Everton outweigh those against the Blues.
Who makes up the KMI panel?
It is understood that there are five members of the Premier League’s KMI panel.
The members include:
- Three former players/coaches
- One Premier League representative
- One PGMOL representative
Although the votes are not made public, there would be no surprise if the one vote against Everton over Fernandes’ handball came from the PGMOL representative.
Speaking to Everton News, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg agreed with the decision of no penalty.
“It would have been harsh to punish West Ham’s midfielder Fernandes for a handball when the ball touched his hand,” Clattenburg told Everton News.
However, the panel has disagreed with the decision which was made two weeks ago in London.
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