Former referee and PGMOL technical director Howard Webb has admitted to making an ‘error’ that may have relegated Newcastle United in 2009.
Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League for the first time at the end of the 2008-09 season following a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on the final day of the season.
But The Magpies’ penultimate match of the campaign against Fulham at St James’ Park also ended in a 1-0 defeat. Webb was referee for the match and over 14-years on has admitted that he incorrectly disallowed a Newcastle equaliser scored by Mark Viduka that hypothetically could have kept them up after Diomansy Kamara had given Fulham the lead in the first half.
On The Rest Is Football Podcast, Webb acknowledged the error to Alan Shearer, the manager of Newcastle at the time. He added, “It’s taken 10 years but people are talking about acknowledging errors at the moment and I do have to acknowledge that error.”
“Kevin Nolan is to blame. Newcastle was playing Fulham. I did referee just one of the games you were in charge of, so I’m not entirely to fault for it!
Kevin had been stepping on Mark Schwarzer’s toes on corners, so I kind of spoke with him. When a corner was awarded and I witnessed him doing it once again, I intervened. Referees sound the whistle, so I went in and spoke with him, telling him not to do it and not to stand on his toes.
Anyway, as the turn is approaching, [Nolan] comes toward Schwarzer, and I blew too soon, causing him to kind of just stop short of doing so, to which Mark Viduka angrily retaliated. this [header] into the top corner, majestically as I’ve blown the whistle thinking ‘oh my goodness, I’ve blown too soon’.
“I hoped Newcastle would come back into this game,” but they didn’t, and I spent the rest of the day thinking that there was no VAR or way to alter it.
“Sebastien Bassong was sent off by me for a professional foul, and Newcastle was defeated as a result.”
“I remember being at West Ham that same day thinking, ‘I hope Newcastle have got something out of the game,’ otherwise that decision to disallow that goal is going to be pretty significant.” You went to Villa on the final day needing a win or a point.
At the end of the season, Shearer resigned as manager of Newcastle after the team was finally demoted.
Webb admitted it, and Shearer reluctantly said, “You’re forgiven.”
Under Chris Hughton, the Magpies won the Championship and made their Premier League debut. After losing the Championship six seasons later, The Magpies were demoted once more but triumphed once more, this time under Rafael Benitez’s leadership.
Following its most recent promotion in 2017, Newcastle had to content itself with mid-table results. However, under Eddie Howe’s leadership, the team finished in fourth place during the 2022–2023 season and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in more than 20 years.
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