Mark Halsey: Former referee's claims that officials have been told to lie after matches have been denied

Halsey made the claims after Sergio Aguero, the Manchester City striker, was charged retrospectively with violent conduct

Mark Halsey claimed he was told to say he had not seen incidents during Premier League matches (Getty)

Accusations by former referee Mark Halsey that he was told to deny seeing controversial incidents have been refuted by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

Halsey made the claims after Sergio Aguero, the Manchester City striker, was charged with violent conduct for an apparent elbow on West Ham United’s Winston Reid, leading to a three-game suspension which will rule him out of the Manchester derby.

The Argentinian striker received the charge retrospectively from the Football Association, not directly implicated in the accusations, after the altercation was missed by referee Andre Mariner and the rest of the officiating team during the Premier League fixture at the Etihad last weekend.

Retrospective action can only proceed if the referee fails to mention the incident in his post-match report. Aguero will now be ineligible to play against city rivals Manchester United after the international break, on 10 September, a fixture of added importance to both teams as it renews the rivalry between managers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

Halsey, who later confirmed one incident in 2011 between Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers, made the claim on Twitter on Friday night that he has previously been told by the PGMOL to say he had not witnessed incidents that he had in fact seen during competitive English fixtures.

“I have been in that situation,” he wrote, “when I have seen an incident and been told to say I haven't seen it.” When asked further, Halsey added: “To be fair to the FA... it's not them. It comes from within the PGMOL.”

Gary Neville, the former Manchester United defender and Valencia boss, tweeted: “Mark, I'd like to know who told you to say that! @FA and @premierleague think you have a major issue on your hands!!”

A statement issued by the PGMOL on Saturday evening, however, read: “Match officials submit their reports, including critical incidents, directly to the FA. Match officials ensure that their reports are a full and accurate description of the incident.

“There is no pressure from the PGMOL to include or omit anything.”

Formed in 2001, the PGMOL was established when referees turned professional and aims to improve standards across the Premier League, Football League and FA competitions in England as well as training and development.

Additional reporting by PA.