Ref to make Premier League return 4 years after sacking for "dark private joke"

Former Premier League referee Bobby Madley is set to make a return to top-flight officiating this weekend - more than four years after being sacked for mocking a disabled person.

The 37-year-old has not taken charge of a Premier League game since August 2018, after announcing that he had left his job and decided to relocate "due to a change in his personal circumstances."

He later revealed he had been sacked after sending a video to someone he "trusted" after being teased about a parents' race at his daughter's school and a newspaper article written by former referee Mark Halsey claiming he was making mistakes because he was overweight.

Now though, Madley is set to make a return to the Premier League having been announced as the man in the middle for Brentford 's home clash with struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A veteran of over 90 Premier League matches, he has already been regaining his refereeing stripes having already accepted an opportunity to be a National List referee. as far back as February 2020 following a spell of living in Norway.

Madley has 10 Sky Bet Championship games to his name so far this season having most recently officiated Watford's 4-0 thumping of neighbours Luton Town on Sunday.

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In a post on therefereesword.blogspot.com in December 2019, he said: "The full page and headline of 'Blobby Bobby' may seem funny to some but, trust me, being fat shamed in a national newspaper is not a nice feeling.

"As I sat in my car with my phone in hand, a person walked past my car in front of me who had a walking impairment. The next part I am ashamed of. I took a six-second film, I said nothing. I did this in Snapchat, which is where I take all of my films that I intend to save to my phone.

"On the video I wrote, 'F**k me, I have a chance of winning the parents race this year.' Out of context I accept this reads shamefully. I accept that. However, my intention was that the joke was aimed at myself.

"Had I have sent this to anyone on Snapchat, then I would accept the decision that later came as a result. I didn't do that, though. I saved it to my phone. I sent it as a private text to somebody who I trusted. Somebody who understood the context of previous sports day comments and was aware of the fat shaming I had received.

"I regret taking the video, I regret sending that video and, whilst it was a dark-humoured joke, it was just that. A joke.

"It was not intended to shame anyone, it was not intended to be seen by anyone other than the person I sent it privately to in a text message on my own personal phone."

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