VAR duo Darren England and Dan Cook officiated in UAE 48 hours before Liverpool error in Tottenham defeat
Darren England and Dan Cook were part of a refereeing team in the United Arab Emirates, 48 hours before Liverpool's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
England and Cook, who are both at the centre of fallout from the Reds' controversial loss in North London, were assigned roles for the match between Sharjah and Al Ain in the UAE Pro League on Thursday. England was on VAR duties in the Middle East with Cook running the line as one of Michael Oliver's assistant referees.
The pair were then both in the VAR control room on main and assistant roles for Liverpool's first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp's side finished with nine men at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in an encounter that has been surrounded by controversy.
Liverpool received an apology from Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, after the PGMOL admitted there was "significant human error" in disallowing Luis Diaz's first-half goal. At the time it was 0-0. Spurs went on to win 2-1.
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A report from The Times has claimed that the Football Association (FA) received an approach for Oliver, England and Cook to officiate in the Gulf - subsequently receiving permission from Webb, who sanctioned the visit.
The ECHO has approached the PGMOL for comment.
In light of the controversy involving Liverpool, England and Cook were stood down from their officiating roles for the remainder of matchweek seven.
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