Linesman stood down for West Brom game after Arsenal fans gesture
Assistant referee John Brooks has been stood down from running the line at West Brom's FA Cup third round replay with Queens Park Rangers.
Brooks was caught on camera telling Manchester City's Joleon Lescott to thank travelling supporters at Arsenal on Sunday.
The incident has triggered action from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body that assigns referees and assistants to games.
The official insisted Lescott and his team-mates made the gesture with television microphones picking up him reportedly saying: "They have paid 62 quid over there, go and see them."
The game at the Emirates was notable by a boycott by City fans who refused to pay the category A' prices.
Having been told by Brooks that he should acknowledge the travelling support, Lescott duly obliged and went over to the away end.
Now Brooks' place at the Hawthorns tonight is due to be taken by Dave Bryan, an experienced assistant but not a FIFA-level official.
The Leicester-based official is in his first season as a Premier League assistant and for the majority of his games he has worked alongside Mike Dean, the referee at the Emirates on Sunday.
City had returned nearly 1,000 unsold tickets for Sunday's Premier League match in protest at the price.
Supporters held up banners at the game saying: "Don't price us out of our game or lose more fans" and "£62! Where will it stop?"
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited stood Mr Brooks down for the game at the Hawthorns tonight after studying footage, which became a hit on social media.
But managing director Mike Riley – a former Premier League official – declined to comment on reasons.
Graham Poll, an ex-referees, believes Mr Brooks' comments appeared to have been construed as "inappropriate."
He said: "Tension can cause abnormal behaviour. You're so focused on your job, you're not thinking straight on other things."
But the decision to remove the official was greeted with dismay by fans. Premier League blog site EPL Talk said today: "The decision is absolutely awful.
"Brooks said something that should have been applauded – standing up for the common supporter."
