FA make Man City v Newcastle United official decision after Tottenham Hotspur outrage

Simon Hooper has been appointed as match referee for the FA Cup quarter-final clash between Manchester City and Newcastle United on Saturday evening (kick-off 5:30pm).

Hooper has taken charge of just one fixture involving Newcastle this campaign, and that was their 4-1 win over Chelsea at St James' Park in November when Alexander Isak, Jamaal Lascelles, Joelinton and Anthony Gordon were on the scoresheet.

And the Wiltshire-born oficial returns to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since making a mistake during Man City's 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. Hooper sparked outrage when he awarded a free-kick for Emerson Royal's foul on Erling Haaland rather than play the advantage with Jack Grealish through on goal.

Howard Webb - chief refereeing officer for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) - admitted that Hooper should have allowed play to continue.

“It is an officiating mistake,” Webb told Match Officials: Mic’d Up. "“On this particular occasion, he sees a pretty strong, reckless foul challenge by Emerson Royal on Haaland. It’s in midfield, and the ball comes backwards. He does the hard work, he just hesitates a moment to see if an advantage is possible. But he recognises in his mind, thinking it through, that it was a strong challenge, it was reckless, he is going to have to caution.

“At ground level, it’s not quite so easy to see the way that things are playing out as it is from an elevated view. And he decides to penalise just at the moment as the ball’s about to go, he blows the whistle, and then realises that a wonderful advantage was available. And for sure, he was devastated. He’d refereed the game really well for 93 minutes, but he knows this is going to be the only talking point.

“Really close to the end of the game, I understand the disappointment that Manchester City felt on this one, because it would have been a wonderful advantage. He just formed the opinion to blow just at the wrong time. It looked like he was ready to play advantage

“I said to him afterwards: ‘Just hold your hands up. It’s difficult to be annoyed at a remorseful man. Just show your disappointment in the moment.’ Because he was certainly feeling that at the time.”

Man City were fined £120,000 by the FA after their players had surrounded Hooper.

Hooper will be assisted by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long, Thomas Bramall, Jarred Gillett and Neil Davies are on VAR duty. Thomas Bramall in the fourth official.