Ian Ladyman insists it’s ‘NONSENSE’ to question referee Chris Kavanagh’s ‘impartiality’ ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Man City… after fans pointed out he was born five miles away from the Etihad Stadium

• Chris Kavanagh will referee Liverpool’s top-of-the-table clash with Man City 
• Fans pointed out the referee was born just five miles away from the Etihad 
• IAN LADYMAN: It’s nonsense to care where Chris Kavanagh was born – IAKO 

Ian Ladyman has slammed ‘nonsense’ questioning over referee Chris Kavanagh’s ‘impartiality’ ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Manchester City on Saturday.

Some Liverpool fans were unhappy with Kavanagh’s appointment as referee for the top-of-the-table clash, with Richard Keys also hitting out at the decision made by PGMOL. 

Their complaints are down to the fact that Kavanagh was born in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester – just five miles from the Etihad Stadium. 

One Liverpool fan even pointed this out with a picture of a map showing the distance between the town and Man City’s home stadium. 

At a time when Mail Sport have launched a campaign on all of football to show respect towards referees, Ladyman insisted that the questions over Kavanagh is the ‘kind of nonsense that underpins all of the rubbish’ directed towards match officials. 

Questions have been asked over Chris Kavanagh’s impartiality ahead of his refereeing duties in Man City’s clash with Liverpool – because he was born five miles away from the Etihad Stadium

Mail Sport’s Ian Ladyman has slammed the questioning as ‘nonsense’ insisting he doesn’t support either of the two teams and ‘trusts his impartiality’

Liverpool could go top of the Premier League table if they defeat Man City on Saturday

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Mail Sport’s football editor said: ‘There’s already been some chat across social media about the referee, Chris Kavanagh, simply because he was born and raised five miles from the Etihad Stadium. People are already calling into question his impartiality and why the PGMOL would appoint him.

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‘And to me this is the kind of nonsense that underpins all of this rubbish that we see directed towards officials on match days. He’s from Ashton-under-Lyne which actually isn’t in Manchester, it’s in Greater Manchester. 

‘He’s not a Manchester City supporter, he’s not a Liverpool supporter. I don’t care where he was born, I trust his impartiality, I don’t trust he’ll have a perfect game because nobody does, but I don’t think he’s biased.

Chris Sutton also hit out at the accusations as he added: ‘I mean, are we going to get to the stage where we’re looking at referees and which particular city they’re born closer to? Yeah, I mean, that doesn’t make any sense. 

‘But the scrutiny certainly doesn’t help, does it, in any way, shape or form, and cranks the pressure up on referees.’

Liverpool have a good record in games which Kavanagh has taken charge of, winning 13 out of a possible 15 matches. 

This season, he has been on the whistle twice for Liverpool – both wins for the Reds. While he took charge of Man City’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.  

The Etihad Stadium wasn’t around when 38-year-old Kavanagh was born, as City previously played at Maine Road in Moss Side until 2003. 

A Liverpool fan pointed out how close Kavanagh was born to the Etihad Stadium, with Ashton-under-Lyne  around five miles away from Man City’s ground 

Richard Keys (right) said he has no doubts that Kavanagh will be professional but questioned the decision by PGMOL asking ‘are there no other refs?’

City’s current home was built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games, before it became it replaced Maine Road a year later.

Ladyman said: ‘They were playing at Maine Road (when Kavanagh was born) which is on the other side of Manchester so even further away from where he was born and raised. 

‘It really is a complete nonsense and it’s something that we just don’t need when you’ve even got relatively respected and well known people like Richard Keyes talking about it on social media. 

‘I just don’t really get it. Just let these guys turn up on a Saturday, put their whistles in their mouths and get on with it. That’s all we need to happen.’

Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game

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