Liverpool’s season finale, which will feature a Premier League trophy presentation at Anfield, will be overseen by some familiar—and controversial—faces.
The Premier League has announced the officiating team for the match against Crystal Palace, and for many Liverpool fans, a few names stand out for the wrong reasons.
According to premierleague.com, the officials for Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace are as follows:
Referee: Darren England
Assistants: Scott Ledger, Derek Eaton
Fourth Official: Sam Barrott
VAR: Paul Howard
Assistant VAR: Nick Greenhalgh
Controversial Officials Return for Key Match
Darren England will take charge as the main referee—his name likely to bring back memories of the chaotic match against Tottenham in October 2023, where Luis Diaz had a goal wrongly disallowed. That incident led to a public apology and England being removed from officiating duties for a time.
Sam Barrott, who will serve as the fourth official, also drew criticism from Liverpool supporters during the Merseyside derby in April, when he failed to penalize James Tarkowski for a reckless tackle on Alexis Mac Allister. That decision was later acknowledged as an error by PGMOL chief Howard Webb.
With Paul Howard and Nick Greenhalgh in charge of VAR, Liverpool fans will be hoping that the final match of a memorable season is remembered for the right reasons. While a win isn’t essential, it would be a fitting way to wrap up the campaign and break the current winless streak as the team lifts the trophy at Anfield.