In a dramatic development following the controversial 2–2 Premier League draw between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC, the newly imagined Union of ProRef — formerly known as PGMOL — has reportedly launched its toughest-ever disciplinary investigation into referee Stuart Attwell.
The report claims that Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb and Chief Operating Officer Danielle Every ordered an extraordinary review of Attwell’s performance after the late penalty decision that allowed Liverpool to rescue a point at St James’ Park.
The incident occurred deep into stoppage time when Newcastle defender Lewis Hall made contact with Liverpool forward Victor Muñoz inside the penalty area. Attwell pointed to the spot, and VAR subsequently supported the decision. Dominik Szoboszlai converted the penalty to make it 2–2.
Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle publicly described the penalty as “really soft,” while other analysts and former players disagreed over whether the contact was sufficient for a spot-kick.