Exclusive: West Ham ‘to demand answers from Premier League’ after Wolves farce
West Ham United were beaten 1-0 by Wolves in the Premier League on Tuesday, but Graham Potter has every right to feel aggrieved.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s goal after 21 minutes proved the difference between the sides at Molineux on 1 April on another disappointing night for the Hammers.
While it is fair to say West Ham failed to turn up in the West Midlands, they were not helped by a poor refereeing display from Tony Harrington.
Harrington gets key decisions wrong at Molineux
Niclas Fullkrug felt he should have been awarded a penalty when caught in the face by a high boot, but Harrington was having none of it.
In a separate incident, Andre put his hands around the throat of West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse, but avoided a red card.
In the view of former FIFA official Keith Hackett, Harrington got both decisions wrong and West Ham deserve answers as to why.
“West Ham should write to Howard Webb at the PGMOL, ensuring that a copy goes to Richard Masters at the Premier League,” he exclusively told West Ham Zone.
“When a player puts his hands around the neck of an opponent, then the only outcome should be a red card.
“In the Fullkrug incident, the boot is high in a clear act that is reckless and endangers the safety of the West Ham United player.
“These are two clear red cards and it’s a concern that referee Tony Harrington failed to apply the law.
“I have yet to be convinced that this referee is capable of officiating at the highest level of the English game.“
West Ham fading badly in Premier League
West Ham fans were hopeful that the appointment of Potter would instil some life into the side, but that has not really proved to be the case.
| Premier League – goals conceded 2024-25 | Goals conceded |
| Southampton | 70 |
| Leicester City | 65 |
| Ipswich Town | 62 |
| Wolves | 58 |
| West Ham | 50 |
There have been some encouraging results and performances – not least the 1-0 win over Arsenal and 2-0 victory against Leicester City in successive games in February.
Since then, however, West Ham have taken one point from a possible nine in games with Newcastle United, Everton and Wolves.
That is simply not good enough, the loss to Wolves being the latest example, and refereeing errors cannot be solely to blame for that.