Ipswich vs Leicester City VAR controversy prompts Howard Webb meeting as answers are demanded
PGMOL chief prepared to address controversial penalty decision in 1-1 draw against Foxes at Portman Road
Ipswich Town’s chief executive, Mark Ashton, plans to meet with PGMOL head Howard Webb to discuss what he perceives as a “stonewall penalty” denial during Ipswich’s recent match against Leicester City, according to the Mirror.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw at Portman Road after a late equalizer from Jordan Ayew secured a point for Leicester.
However, Ipswich were left furious over an incident in Leicester’s penalty area where Abdul Fatawu collided with Conor Chaplin.
Referee Tim Robinson opted not to award a penalty, sparking frustration from Ashton and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.
Their discontent was compounded when Ipswich’s Kalvin Phillips received a second yellow card and was sent off just minutes later.
This incident marks the fourth time this season Ipswich have faced controversial VAR decisions, leading Ashton to criticize the technology’s use.
Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he expressed his concern over the system’s impact on the game, saying, “From an entertainment perspective, I believe the game is worse off with VAR from what I have seen.”
Ashton emphasized his main concern is consistency. He said, “All I ask for with refereeing and VAR is consistency. We have not seen consistency.
I don’t personally believe, and my colleagues don’t personally believe, that we have seen consistency over the games. Right now, I am confused.”
During the match, Ashton took a proactive approach by contacting Webb directly, sensing potential issues with officiating.
He shared, “I actually messaged Howard when we were 1-0 up because I had a sense of the way this was going to go. I’ve been in this game a long time and I could feel it.”
He requested a conversation with Webb immediately following the game, which they had, though Ashton noted some parts must remain private to avoid repercussions.
He explained, “The culmination of the interesting conversation with Howard on Saturday night was that we will meet this week at Portman Road to discuss it.
We need answers. We need to understand.
At the moment, I cannot understand some of the refereeing decisions that were made and I struggle to understand why we weren’t awarded a penalty.”
Ashton also criticized commentators who backed the referee’s decision, stating, “I have seen former referees giving their opinion that it wasn’t a penalty, but they cannot be serious.
Come on—don’t just back your former colleagues—it was a stonewall penalty.”
Currently, Ipswich sits in 18th place in the Premier League, yet to secure a win this season, while Leicester City holds 15th after ten games.
