According to many sources, EPL referee Mark Clattenburg will be suspended for this upcoming weekend due to breaking two rules which involve going to an Ed Sheeran concert in Newcastle last weekend. Clattenburg worked the West Brom/Crystal Palace this past Saturday.
The first rule that Clattenburg broke was that he was supposed to travel to and from the stadium with the rest of the referee crew before and after the game for safety reasons and for accountability purposes to limit possible unethical behavior like match fixing or intentional bias among a referee. Clattenburg drove by himself so he could leave and have enough time to get to the concert.
The second rule that Clattenburg broke was that he talked to Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock over the phone as he was driving to the concert after the game. Rules state that referees can only speak to managers before and after games when all referees are together or they receive special permission which Clattenburg apparently didn’t receive. Same with referees traveling together, this rule is meant to help prevent unethical behavior from occurring with a referee.
As a result, Clattenburg has not been assigned a game this weekend due to the rules violations. Now that he has some free time, Sheeran is performing in Glasgow Thursday and Friday. They’re sold out shows but considering the man was willing to get suspended from his job for going to a concert, he’s clearly a huge fan and is capable of finding a couple tickets for sale.
