Refs’ body PGMO have embarked upon what appears to be a charm offensive and are hosting roadshows with officials and fans of clubs across the Premier League. 

Last week, they visited Burnley and provided a simulation of how VAR operates on matchdays, along with replays of real-life examples. Fans were also invited to ask questions in a session aimed at increasing transparency and to increase confidence in the continuously under-fire system.

Rio and Rooney 

A penny for the thoughts of BBC bosses after Wayne Rooney’s hard-hitting interview with Rio Ferdinand dropped last week. 

But on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast there was a very different conversation. Over a fascinating and frank hour and four minutes, Rooney opened up to his old team-mate on his problems with alcohol, going as far as to say he could have died without the support of his wife, Coleen. 

The 39-year-old also admitted to ‘struggling massively’ with drinking during his career and at one point boozing for two days’ straight. Unsurprisingly, the interview hit the headlines and was covered by the BBC Sport website, who had to credit Ferdinand’s podcast for delivering the material.

Refs’ body PGMO have embarked upon what appears to be a charm offensive and are hosting roadshows with officials and fans of clubs across the Premier League

Wayne Rooney made the candid admission this week that he’d be dead if it wasn’t for his wife Coleen

The Man United legend sat down with former team-mate Rio Ferdinand for an hour-long conversation

Ludicrous decision leaves United in a slump 

It remains to be seen whether Manchester United will complain over the ludicrous VAR-backed decision not to send Brentford’s Nathan Collins off for hauling back Bryan Mbeumo when he was in on goal against his former club.

The Bees defender grabbed his former team-mate in the area in the second-half with the visitors 2-1 down. VAR confirmed the penalty but somehow saw fit to stay with Craig Pawson’s on-field decision to only issue a yellow card to Collins. 

An explanation offered by the Premier League’s matchday centre later claimed the Bees captain avoided a red because Mbeumo ‘wasn’t in control of the ball’ – seemingly oblivious to the fact that Collins’ foul play prevented that from being the case. Alan Shearer was among those who blasted what was a mind-boggling decision. 

United are assessing their options but are no doubt wary of being viewed as attempting to deflect from what was an underwhelming performance in west London which eventually saw them lose 3-1 after Bruno Fernandes had missed the resulting penalty.

Craig Pawson’s decision not to dismiss Nathan Collins during United’s trip to Brentford was ludicrous

Collins got away with a yellow after taking down Bryan Mbuemo, who was sure to score, in the box

Wilder misses out 

Europe were a fan down at the Ryder Cup thanks to Sheffield United’s reappointment of Chris Wilder to sort out the mess at Bramall Lane. 

The returning Blades boss, who oversaw a first win of the season at Oxford on Saturday following his sacking and disastrous appointment of Ruben Selles, should have been at Bethpage where he had planned to support Matt Fitzpatrick, a huge fan of the club. However, Wilder’s rescue mission intervened – although Fitzpatrick did get a video message from another former Blades boss in the shape of keen golfer Neil Warnock.

Europe were a fan down at the Ryder Cup thanks to Sheffield United ’s reappointment of Chris Wilder to sort out the mess at Bramall Lane

Wilder had been set to jet off to New York to support Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick

Ryder’s fortune 

The storm at Bethpage is the second linked to Samuel Ryder in the space of a month. Ryder, whom the cup is named after, made his fortune from a seed business based in St Albans and his smart Grade II-listed exhibition hall remains in the city. 

Following the departure of tenants Café Rouge, it has now been taken over by Indian restaurant Moka, whose application for a licence has triggered a storm with a barrister representing residents comparing it as more akin to ‘a 2am nightclub’ at a feisty planning meeting, according to The Herts Advertiser.

Subject to a number of amendments, the licence was subsequently granted, which may dismay those in the community who were keen for the art-deco landmark to be turned into a winter garden or collective greenhouse in a nod to its heritage.

Qatar’s Olympic bid 

While Donald Trump’s escalator and teleprompter mishaps at the UN General Assembly stole all the headlines, another Head of State fared better.

To the surprise of many the Emir of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, referenced his country’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games during a hard-hitting speech at the Assembly, which came weeks after an Israeli missile attack on capital Doha.

Towards the conclusion of his speech that spoke of the horrors of the regional conflict, the Emir said the Doha 2036 bid comes from a ‘conviction that sport is not a mere competition but a bridge for connecting peoples and a platform for promoting peace and understanding’.

It remains to be seen whether Qatar would win the 2036 Games against stiff opposition, but one Olympic insider said the speech had done the bid no harm.