Referee Bobby Madley will return to the pitch in the Premier League this weekend after he was dismissed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in 2018. Mr Madley was sacked after a video surfaced where he mocked a disabled person.
The video was supposed to be a private video between two friends, but the fact it was private does not excuse the fact that Mr Madley insulted a disabled person. His actions were highly offensive, degrading, and hurtful. Not only to the disabled person captured on video, but to every disabled person who has faced discrimination at school, in the workplace, on the street, or in a sports stadium due to their disability.
Mr Madley has apologised for his actions and Level Playing Field welcomes that apology.
Level Playing Field was profoundly shocked by Mr Madley’s original actions and he will surely understand that many will be disappointed to see his return to refereering at the top level. The charity believes in giving people a second chance, but that second chance is only right when individuals have learned from their original misdemeanour. We sincerely hope that this is the case with Mr Madley.