Ex-Ref Halsey Slams VAR Over Collins Decision

Mark Halsey
September 2025

Former referee Mark Halsey branded “absolute nonsense” the decision not to send off Brentford’s Nathan Collins for hauling down Bryan Mbeumo in the box. VAR backed Craig Pawson’s yellow card call, ruling Mbeumo lacked control, before Bruno Fernandes missed the penalty. Halsey argued the laws require assessing the likelihood of maintaining control, not existing control, insisting it was a clear denial of a goalscoring chance. He said Manchester United were rightly furious and claimed a red card “should absolutely have been shown.”