Premier League Key Match Incidents panel on Newcastle United and Chelsea controversy

The Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel is in the news once again.

The KMI panel has five members, made up of three former players and/or coaches, plus one representative each from the Premier League and PGMOL.

It was set up at the start of the 2022/23 season to give an independent assessment of decision-making rather than relying on the views of PGMOL or the clubs themselves.

The judgement is intended to provide an arm’s-length assessment of all major match incidents but gives weight to the decision of the referee in subjective situations, taking into account the laws of the game and the Premier League’s interpretation.

Anyway, the Premier League Independent Key Match Incidents Panel are making headlines again, this time regarding incidents in the last round of matches.

Amongst the latest games/incidents under scrutiny, the Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel have looked at the Newcastle v Chelsea match.

With Newcastle United leading 2-1, Eddie Howe and everybody else associated with NUFC, in disbelief as no penalty was awarded when Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah barged Anthony Gordon to the ground.

It was bad enough that the on the pitch referee Andy Madley didn’t give the penalty but then the VAR Peter Bankes didn’t intervene either.

The normally very laidback Eddie Howe who unlike other managers, never looks to blame match officials, even he revealed that the club had written to PGMOL to ask for “clarification” on how the match officials came to these decisions.

Former top referees Dermot Gallagher and Keith Hackett both said it was the clearest of penalty decisions that should have been given.

Now we have the Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel giving their verdict and I have to say, their findings are beyond belief.

It was only a majority verdict (3-2) from the panel that believed on the pitch referee Andy Madley should have awarded the spot-kick.

Then the panel voted 3-2 that the VAR Peter Bankes was correct not to advise Madley that he should have a look at TV replays to check if he had got it wrong. That majority verdict finding that the referee’s error didn’t reach the “threshold” for a VAR intervention.

When it came to whether Andy Madley got the original decision wrong, those who were in favour that a penalty should have been given, said: “Chalobah makes no challenge for the ball and makes reckless shoulder, hip and leg contact.”

Whilst those thinking Madley got the decision correct, had the view that it was: “Robust shoulder to shoulder contact with the ball in playing distance.”

Unbelievable.