The official responsible for one of the biggest VAR blunders of all time has spoken
A referee has spoken out about the personal toll his infamous VAR error in the Tottenham game took on him. Darren England was the video assistant referee at Spurs in 2023 who mistakenly disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal for Liverpool.
Despite VAR footage showing Diaz clearly onside, a lapse in concentration led England to say “check complete” and not overturn the original decision. The confusion angered Liverpool and embarrassed England, who lost 2-1.
The official, who called the error the “low point” of his career, later had to sit out the rest of the game with just 34 minutes remaining as he realized he had made a huge foul.
She told the BBC: “Once I realize I’ve made a mistake, it’s a really hard place to forget and move on. I can’t physically get up and go out and leave it alone. It took a lot of resilience, but also a lot of practice.”
England was subsequently suspended from Premier League duty for three months, with six and a half months to go before returning to VAR duties. The 40-year-old admits that the scrutiny and criticism has been difficult for her and her family to cope with.
To his credit, England has since revived his career and is now regarded as one of the country’s top officials both on the field and in the Stockley Park video bunker.
Make sure you never miss the latest Tottenham news and opinion by making Football London one of Google’s preferred sources.
He said: “Obviously it’s been really difficult to deal with the aftermath. It’s been difficult because it’s a goldfish bowl of the Premier League.
“But when mistakes happen, you’re in the public eye and criticism is bound to come your way. It was difficult because it affected my family as well.
“We had people outside my alma mater and reporters and stuff like that. It affects you as a person, not as a judge.”
England, who managed the final match between “Manchester City” and “Chelsea” of the FA Cup this year, turned to a sports psychologist for help. He added: “The support, not just from the Pro Ref (referee body), but more importantly from family and friends was crucial.
“It’s also about perspective. Sometimes there’s a danger that we might think we’re saving lives, but we also realize how important it is.
“I focused as much as I could, worked hard and believed in myself because despite all those decisions in the Liverpool-Tottenham game, I made hundreds of the right decisions.”
England will be using VAR for this weekend’s Fulham v Newcastle match.