Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has made the stunning claim that he was told by his superiors to say he had not seen controversial incidents in matches.
Halsey suggested during a Twitter conversation on Friday that Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) - the governing body for elite referees in England - instructed him to claim he hadn't seen flashpoints when he clearly had.
It follows the debate over Sergio Aguero's elbow on Winston Reid during Manchester City's win over West Ham last weekend, which has led to the Argentine being handed a three-match suspension.
City had appealed the ban because they refused to believe referee Andre Marriner's assertion that he had not seen the incident, which occurred in the 76th minute of City's 3-1 home win.