|
Graham Poll retiring?
Poll quit reports untrue, says referees' chiefTimes Online and Agencies
Graham Poll will not retire from officiating after taking charge of Sunday's Barclays Premiership match between Portsmouth and Arsenal, Keith Hackett, the referees' chief, said today.
It had been reported by one newspaper this morning that the Tring official would quit following the match at Fratton Park, the last league game of the season.
But that came as a surprise to Hackett, general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), who employ the top flight’s full-time referees. He is adamant that Poll will at the very least take charge of a play-off semi-final after the weekend.
Hackett also revealed that Poll has not handed in his notice to the PGMOL, which would be mandatory before he could stand down.
“It’s pure speculation," he said. "I had heard that it was his last game on Sunday, but my first answer to that is that we have the play-offs coming up and he is officiating in the play-offs.
“He is also an employee of the PGMOL and he has it within his contract to give us a period of notice, and that has not been forthcoming.”
Hackett would not, however, confirm that Poll intended to carry on next season. “I don’t know. Contract negotiations with all referees will commence at the end of the season,” he added.
“We will sit down with Graham and all our referees and discuss these issues in the close season."
Poll retired from refereeing in major international tournaments after showing three yellow cards to Josip Simunic, the Croatia defender, before sending him off in last season's World Cup in Germany.
He has also been involved in some controversial incidents this season, most notably the dismissal of John Terry, the Chelsea captain, in a Premiership match against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
|
Graham Poll retiring?
