Andre Marriner to referee this weekend, despite Keiran Gibbs gaffe
The official will take charge of Southampton v Newcastle on Saturday
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Your support makes all the difference.Andre Marriner has been given a match to referee this weekend despite his blunder in sending off the wrong Arsenal player against Chelsea.
Marriner will take charge of Southampton v Newcastle on Saturday, a week after he sent of Kieran Gibbs instead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for a deliberate hand-ball in a case of mistaken identity.
The referee, who was in charge of last year's FA Cup final, apologised to the Gunners after the game - a 6-0 defeat against Chelsea - but has received support from Everton manager Roberto Martinez who believes it is not in the interests of football to challenge every error made by match officials.
Martinez said: "Andre Marriner has incredible experience and it was one of those situations that happens in football.
"We have an elite group (of referees) in our league and for me it is one of the best in world football.
"Errors are part of the game and there will be errors, misjudgments and mistakes but that is part of football and you need to accept it because that is what makes football what it is.
"It should be part of the game. It is not a black and white decision at times, it is a little bit more of interpretation.
"I think we need to rely on the referees and I think the referees in this country are as good as they get."
Martinez believes introducing live video replays for decisions during matches would be going too far.
He added: "I think we would be going a little bit too far. I think goal-line technology during was a really important breakthrough but from that point on I think we need to allow referees to do their job."
Former referee Dermot Gallagher had argued that Marriner should not be relieved on any matches as a result of his error, saying it was just "a genuine mistake and that's all it was."
PA
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