Manchester United Fans Express Displeasure Over Appointment of Newcastle United Fan

Manchester United supporters have expressed their displeasure on social media about the appointment of Newcastle United supporter Michael Oliver as the referee for their next game.

The two clubs are competing for Champions League spots in the final two months of the season, and Oliver’s appointment as match official for tomorrow’s Premier League match against Everton has sparked a social media backlash.

Newcastle are third in the Premier League, one point ahead of Erik ten Hag’s fourth-placed side on goal difference, heading into tomorrow’s match at Brentford.

One Red Devils fan tweeted a photo of Ashington-born Oliver, 38, wearing a Newcastle shirt and asked the Football Association and Premier League how he was allowed to do so given his support for their rivals.

Oliver, like every other Premier League referee, is not permitted to officiate games involving his favorite team.

“I never referee Newcastle games,” Oliver told the Daily Mail in 2021, when Newcastle was fighting for survival. “We have to declare our allegiance to any club – or if a family member works at a club.”

A Newcastle fan should not be refereeing United games rn, can’t believe this actually needs saying. https://t.co/wk3cJyrdL1

— Jay Motty (@JayMotty) April 7, 2023

“You can’t do any match with that team, and I can’t do Sunderland for obvious reasons.”

Because Newcastle are invariably involved in a relegation battle, I can’t referee anyone around them towards the bottom three in March or April.

“If Newcastle needed a point to survive, and the team they were fighting to get above was, say, Villa, I couldn’t referee Villa’s game either. I wouldn’t want to. It’s not worth the hassle.”

Manchesster United will play against Everton “who are fighting for Premier League survival” at Old Trafford in this weekend on Saturday afternon