Mark Halsey, who refereed in the Premier League for 14 years, has stated he was told to say he hadn't seen incidents that had occurred during games.
The former official revealed the information on social media on Saturday in a conversation about a flashpoint that saw Manchester City's Sergio Aguero banned for three games:
@mackemcafu2 @richardajkeys Paul I have been in that situation when I have seen an incident and been told to say I haven't seen it
— Mark Halsey (@RefereeHalsey) September 2, 2016
When asked to clarify his statement, Halsey suggested the direction came from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, not the Football Association:
@lee_greenhalgh1 @FA to be Fair to the FA Lee it's not them, it comes from with in the PGMOL
— Mark Halsey (@RefereeHalsey) September 3, 2016
Aguero picked up the sanction after he was found guilty of violent conduct and means he will miss the club's next three games, including next weekend's clash with Manchester United.