Penalty policy needs to be set in Stones

JOHN STONES has called for “clarity” from World

Cup referees amid fears England have been singled out for special set-piece treatment.

The Manchester City defender believes Gareth Southgate’s side were denied a clear penalty against Iran (Harry Maguire appeals, above) and the one given against Stones himself was harsh.

Following the Iran match, Southgate revealed that an England free-kick routine was shown in a video at a refereeing briefing ahead of the tournament as an example of what would be outlawed.

But after Stones (inset) and his team-mates were told what would be given as a penalty, they were mystified by the decisions – from both the referee and VAR – in the 6-2 thumping of the Iranians.

Stones said: “I don’t know what that VAR thought process was. Harry Maguire got kind of highlighted in the first instance, but I’m not one for going down – and I was straight up appealing for a penalty. I didn’t even realise that Harry had been having the same thing.

“And looking at it after, I’m a bit baffled that nothing had been called and then it was for something that, in my opinion, was never, ever, ever a penalty.

“I’m not one for conceding silly fouls or things like that and I don’t believe that, with the amount of jostling that goes on in a box, a little pull of the shirt makes someone’s knees buckle and go over.

“There has got to be some sort of consistency to it and that’s where everyone’s frustration is. How can one thing – well, two instances in our case – not be a penalty? It’s hard to know what someone’s thought process is.

“There has to be a bit of clarity.”