RateTheRef

There have been instances in the past when an officials has done two VARs on the same day - e.g. Moss did Man Utd V Reading and Palace V Grimsby in January in the FA Cup. Oliver's Europa League appointment on Thursday obviously explains why he is not refereeing this weekend - he's done Spurs/Everton the past few weeks so couldn't do a Sunday game.

I'm not sure there are enough recently retired PL officials to take on the VAR roles - how many SG referees have retired in the last 5 years for instance? At the moment, many of them have probably gone on to other things, whether that's  taking up coaching roles in the organisation or going onto pastures new. Would many of them necessarily want to do it?

Perhaps wover time we will see some officials kept on in a VAR capacity after retiring from active on-field officiating but when I look at the comments many recently retired referees make in the media (even those not affiliated to the PGMO, who obviously have a particular agenda) I wonder whether they would really be right for the role. There can obviously be a decline in people's sharpness and eyesight, etc. as they get older and they can quickly become quite detached from the modern game.

I think the issue regarding Fourth Officials is often overstated. Before Mike Riley's time, it often used to be the case that NL officials would be appointed as FOs. Let's take a look at a random set of appointments on the old board - https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ratetheref/sg-appointments-t196.html You had M Pike as Fourth Official for Blackburn V West Ham (a live game), P Miller as FO for Chelsea V Sheffield United, I Williamson as FO for Tottenham V Watford

Another weekend has the likes of Miller, Halls, Laws and Penton on FO duties - https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ratetheref/select-group-appointments-t357.html

It's often said that there aren't enough opportunities for up and coming referees (some even feeling that we should go back to just one national list) so I think there are potential benefits to having younger referees getting the chance to experience games at a higher level and seeing how some of the SG1 referees operate.