Keith Hackett has reacted to comments made about referee Sam Allison by Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that officials must not ask players for shirts after the Blades boss claimed Allison had previously done so, branding the practice an “absolute no no”.
Sheffield United are currently battling the likes of Leeds and Burnley for automatic promotion back to the Premier League this season.
However, Wilder’s side were dealt a blow with their attempts to do that on Tuesday night (8 April) after being beaten 1-0 at home by Millwall.
After the game, the 57-year-old was far from happy with the performance of Allison in that game, leading him to take aim at the official individually post-match.
Chris Wilder makes referee feelings clear after defeat
Sheffield United were unhappy that they were not given a penalty in that game for a pull on Anel Ahmedhodzic by Jake Cooper inside the Millwall area.
Speaking after the game, Wilder was asked if he felt his side should have been awarded spot kick over that incident.
In response, the Sheffield United boss said that he did, while revealing he is “not a fan” of referee Allison.
| Championship position | Played | Points |
| 1. Leeds United | 41 | 85 |
| 2. Burnley | 41 | 85 |
| 3. Sheffield United | 41 | 83 |
He also went on to claim that the official had asked for Ross Barkley‘s shirt when the Blades faced Luton last season, at a time when the midfielder was playing for the Hatters.
Beyond that, Wilder claimed that Allison also “wants to be the star of the show” and that he “knew what was coming” [talkSPORT].
Now, Hackett has given his reaction to those claims from the Sheffield United manager, making clear his views on shirts being given to officials and highlighting his own interactions with the Blades to discuss officiating issues in past eras.
Keith Hackett reacts to Sheffield United manager’s accusations
After being asked by Football Insider what he made of those comments about Allison by Wilder, the former referee said:
“It is so important for match officials to demonstrate high levels of integrity and impartiality.
“Referees asking for players’ shirts is an absolute no-no and should be included in the written contracts of the match officials which are issued by the PGMOL and updated on an annual basis.
“If the manager has a complaint about a match official’s performance and any issues around decisions, then there is a channel of communication that he can use to raise and discuss his complaints.
“I remember in the tenure of Neil Warnock at Sheffield United [there were] a number of visits to Bramall Lane to discuss matters that concerned him.
“These were done in an open and convivial manner [with us] not always agreeing on what was discussed.”
Sheffield United will look to get their promotion push back on track when they travel to Home Park to face Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon (12 April).
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