Lee Mason relegated to fourth official role after Coquelin red card furore in Arsenal clash with Crystal Palace

Lee Mason has been removed from refereeing duties and demoted to fourth-official status for the round of Premier League fixtures this weekend, following his controversial performance during Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday

Mason was widely criticised for failing to send off the Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin, who committed a number of clear fouls whilst already on a yellow card.

After the last of them Arsenal’s manager, Arsène Wenger, hastily substituted the player, and the Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew was not the only person nonplussed at Mason’s failure to show a second yellow card.

And so Mason has been assigned to the King Power Stadium this Saturday, where he will be holding up the injury-time board for Leicester City versus Tottenham Hotspur.

While it is common for all referees in the elite Select Group to be rotated from time to time, Mason’s absence from front-line duties this weekend is particularly noteworthy given that he was one of the most-used Premier League referees last season, taking charge of 25 matches.