Darren Bond, Marco Silva, Fulham
Credit: Imago / Sky Sports YouTube / Hasan Karim - Breaking Media
Keith Hackett
Mon 16 June 2025 14:56, UK
Darren Bond should not be refereeing at Premier League level next season following Marco Silva’s outburst during Fulham versus Ipswich Town, according to Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that he agreed with the manager’s questioning of the official’s performance during the 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage in January.
Raul Jimenez scored two of three penalty kicks awarded during the controversial clash last season, with Chelsea’s new signing Liam Delap scoring the other, and Sammie Szmodics scoring the opener on the day.
Leif Davis, Nathan Broadhead, Dara O’Shea, Sam Morsy, Ben Johnson, and Andreas Pereira were all cautioned during the game, but it was the first yellow card that caused the most uproar.
Leif Davis avoided red card against Fulham
Davis’ booking was the most blatant of them all, tripping Harry Wilson as the Welshman was about to run in-behind, and Silva, who has been linked with a Fulham exit, was in disbelief at how no red card was shown.
He suggested that Bond was not up to the task at Premier League level, claiming the referee relied on VAR to get the decisions right, with many supporters agreeing with the manager’s outburst.
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While Hackett also agreed with the very honest comments, he suggested that Silva could face a sanction from the FA, though that never arrived at Craven Cottage.
Now, the former boss of the PGMOL has shared his thoughts on Bond heading into the 2025/26 season.
“The referee was not at Premier League level” 😬
Harry Wilson was brought down by Ipswich’s Leif Davis as he broke forward in the first half. Referee Darren Bond did not deem it a denial of a clear scoring opportunity, to Marco Silva’s frustration. #MOTD2 pic.twitter.com/ShjRhtxAGk
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 5, 2025
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Keith Hackett ready to axe Darren Bond from Premier League officials
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “On the day I watched that game, I thought the referee had an awful performance. At what point do you suppress the manager’s contribution?
“As a former referee, I was disappointed by Darren Bond’s performance, and not for the first time. I have to say, he’s one of those referees who are borderline. If I were the boss of the PGMOL, he wouldn’t be refereeing in the Premier League next year.
Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett has not minced his words on Darren Bond.
“It’s as simple as that. He’s just not got it in terms of levels, but he’s not alone. There are two or three. Managers have always got to be careful because there are lines of communication.
“It’s difficult to take passion away. In my era, there was no suppression of managers’ opinions. They would often say, ‘I’ll be calling Keith Hackett on Monday morning’. We’d often have those chats.”
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