"PAST HIS SELL-BY-DATE" RAP FOR PREMIER LEAGUE REF LEE MASON

FORMER referee Keith Hackett has controversially called for Lee Mason to be axed as a Premier League referee.

He makes the call in today's edition of his weekly column for The Daily Telegraph.

He says: "Lee Mason is past his sell-by-date and should be removed from the Premier League on a permanent basis.

"His performances have been on the slide for some time and the 45-year-old should be demoted to Football League duties as soon as possible."

Hackett says it was wrong of the Bolton-based  referee  to disallow for dangerous play Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal for Manchester United v Middlesbrough on Saturday.

However, Hackett's call is likely to go unheeded - he retains the support of the refereeing hierarchy and is scheduled to take charge of today's Manchester City's home match with Burnley.

Bolton official Lee Mason - in the firing line