Mark Clattenburg dropped from officiating this weekend's Premier League fixtures for breaching protocol

Referee Mark Clattenburg during the match between West Brom and Crystal Palace at The Hawthorns

English Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has been ‘axed’ from officiating in this weekend’s fixtures for failing to abide with the protocols required of a referee. He will miss the games because he travelled alone to the game between West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace at the Hawthorns, because he wanted to leave early to attend the Ed Sheeran concert.

His offenses include driving his own car to the venue and speaking with Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock on the phone after the West Bromich vs Crystal Palace match.

Clattenburg failed to follow Premier League code

It was reported that he drove his own car to officiate last weekend’s match so that he could attend the award-wining singer-songwriter’s performance at Metro Radio Arena last Saturday. Premier League rules require the referee and his assistants of the match to move together to and from the stadium for causes of security and sincerity.

The 39-year-old also broke another Premier League code by speaking to Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock in his car after the West Brom draw. The code only allows the officiating members to speak to the concerned managers after the match in attendance of all the assistants or only after getting permission from the referees committee, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited.

Warnock had revealed after the match that in the 2-2 draw, West Brom’s Craig Dawson had physically attacked Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni after Victor Anichebe had scored a goal.

Controversy and Clattenburg go hand-in-hand

Clattenburg is now regarded as one of England’s top referees after the retirement of the famous official Howard Webb, but his career has been filled with a string of controversies. He served an eight-month suspension for an investigation into his business debts and personal life. The Englishman was also accused by Chelsea of racially abusing John Obi Mikel of Chelsea and also by Southampton last season of having insulted their player Adam Lallana, bu het was cleared of both the charges.

He will officiate in Wednesday’s Capital One match between Tottenham and Brighton and also take charge in the Champions League next week.