Liverpool begin their Premier League campaign on Friday night with the defending champions hosting Bournemouth at Anfield
English referee Thomas Bramall taking charge of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield
Premier League referee Thomas Bramall (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A Premier League referee who made an error on the final day of last season will be on the officiating team for Liverpool's opening Premier League match against Bournemouth. Thomas Bramall made a call during Aston Villa's clash with Manchester United that ended up having an impact on the battle for Champions League qualification.
Anthony Taylor has been confirmed as the referee when Liverpool get their title defence underway on Friday night. Helping him will be assistants Gary Beswick and Craig Taylor, fourth official Farai Hallam, video assistant referee (VAR) Michael Oliver and finally assistant VAR Bramall.
It was less than three months ago when Bramall took charge of a final-day clash at Old Trafford and made a decision that is set to have repercussions on the season ahead.
The match between Villa and United was locked at 0-0 in the 72nd minute. This would have been enough to see Unai Emery's side pip Newcastle United to a top-five spot needed to reach the 2025/26 Champions League.
But they were still on the attack. Morgan Rogers pounced upon a weak headed back pass from Harry Maguire as he rushed to beat United's second-choice goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to the loose ball.
The Sheffield-based referee believed Rogers fouled the goalkeeper and blew his whistle before the Villa midfielder's resulting shot had crossed United's goal line.
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers (left) reacts after referee Thomas Bramall disallows his goal
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers (left) reacts after referee Thomas Bramall disallows his goal
In this instance the directive from the PGMOL - the body responsible for referees in English football - is that officials only signal for a stoppage in play after the ball has crossed the line. Bramall's failure to follow protocol meant his VAR was not allowed to review the play and check whether Villa had scored a legitimate goal.
Villa conceded twice to their opponents after being denied the opening goal and slipped below Newcastle to sixth in last season's final Premier League standings. It means they have had to settle for a place in this season's Europa League.
Villa even made an official complaint to the PGMOL for selecting Bramall for their final-day match against United.
A statement read: "With such high stakes surrounding today's fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed. Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League [on the final day], Mr. Bramall was the second least experienced."
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Bramall has officiated 30 Premier League fixtures in total since his first during the 2022/23 campaign. Last season alone he took charge of 11, but 17 other officials had taken charge of more than him.
So, instead of a central role on the opening day Bramall will be based at Stockley Park on assistant VAR duties. He is then set to be fourth official for Brighton vs Fulham on Saturday.
But Liverpool supporters may remember when he took charge of Liverpool vs Bournemouth on the second weekend of the 2023/24 season. The Reds won 3-1 that day but Bramall showed Alexis Mac Allister a red card on his home Premier League debut for what he saw to be a dangerous challenge on Ryan Christie.
It would have resulted in a three-match suspension but the decision was successfully appealed and overturned by the Football Association (FA), whose independent regulatory commission deemed it a wrongful dismissal.
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