As Liverpool prepares for their final game of the season — which includes lifting the Premier League trophy at Anfield — two referees who’ve been involved in past controversies with the club have been given key roles.
According to the Premier League, the officiating team for Liverpool’s match against Crystal Palace will be:
Referee: Darren England
Assistants: Scott Ledger and Derek Eaton
Fourth Official: Sam Barrott
VAR: Paul Howard
Assistant VAR: Nick Greenhalgh
Past controversies resurface
Darren England, who will take charge as referee, is remembered for the controversial disallowed goal by Luis Diaz against Tottenham in October 2023. That error led to a public apology and resulted in England being suspended for several weeks.
Sam Barrott, assigned as the fourth official, was involved in the Merseyside derby in April where he faced criticism from Liverpool fans for failing to penalize James Tarkowski’s dangerous tackle on Alexis Mac Allister. The incident prompted an admission of error from PGMOL chief Howard Webb.
With Paul Howard and Nick Greenhalgh in the VAR booth, Liverpool supporters are hoping that the focus on the final day of a historic season remains on celebration — not officiating errors. While there’s no pressure to win, ending the current winless streak would make the trophy presentation at Anfield even sweeter
