BOBBY’S ALL READY FOR A REF RETURN
FORMER Premier League referee Bobby Madley will officiate in Non-League for the remainder of the season after being allowed to return to English football.
Madley was sacked in August 2018 for “gross misconduct on grounds of discrimination” when a video of him mocking a disabled man was shared with his employer, the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL).
The 34-year-old accepted that the private joke, which he said had been taken out of context, was “badly misjudged”.
But now Madley, who relocated to Norway to continue refereeing, is set to make a comeback after accepting an offer to become a national list referee from this summer, meaning he will take charge of matches in Leagues One and Two.
An immediate return to the Premier League, where he had refereed since 2013, was unlikely due to the introduction of the VAR although, in the meantime, Madley will officiate NonLeague matches for the rest of this season.
“I have never tried to excuse my actions of 2018,” he wrote in a blog post. “I have never looked to blame anyone but myself. I am not proud of my actions in 2018 and I have learned from this and feel I am a better and stronger person for it.
“I thank the PGMOL for having the ability to forgive, recognise that one naive moment does not define a person and offer me a second chance to do what I love to do.
“Like any referee, I have the desire to perform at my best and to achieve the best I can. I still have dreams that I thought were dead but for me they are now very much alive.
“Officiating games lower down the pyramid will help me to reintegrate into the English game.”