Bournemouth have been left stunned by the Premier League’s decision to back referee Jon Moss after midfielder Dan Gosling claimed he'd mocked the club’s league position.
It comes after the audio from Moss’s microphone feed was studied following last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United.
Moss, after angering the players with his decisions, is understood to have dismissed the Cherries players, saying: ‘I’m not the reason you are in relegation trouble - you are!’
The Premier League have justified that remark - and others - to Bournemouth by insisting the match had been “a very challenging game for Jon and his officials”.
Tellingly, however, the FA will not be charging Gosling - who is being fully supported by his club - for his comments.
Angry Gosling, whose side are in the bottom three, had said: “The officials talk about respect at the start of the season and there was zero respect from Jon Moss.
“The comments that he made especially to me and one other player – talking about the relegation zone and ‘you’re still in the relegation zone’, ‘you’re having one’, ‘your team’s having one’ this and that – and it was very, very disrespectful. I thought it was very disrespectful what he was saying.”
Asked to clarify whether the alleged comments were made during last Sunday’s match, Gosling said: “During the game, yeah. I think he [Moss] should really come out and apologise.”
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Bournemouth made contact with the Premier League on Tuesday after an incensed and unrepentant Gosling had made them aware of the situation.
The Premier League responded to Bournemouth on Wednesday afternoon, making clear they would be taking no further action. Pointedly, they did not deny that Moss had made the comments reported.
Bournemouth are privately disappointed at the Premier League’s decision to take no action. The club are continuing to back Gosling but they are now keen to focus solely on their top-flight survival.
Mirror Sport understands Moss had claimed to the Premier League that a number of players had been ‘vocal’ during the game and had complained about his contentious decisions.
Gosling is believed to have pleaded for understanding of the fact that such decisions from officials were contributing placing Bournemouth’s Premier League position in peril.
It is then that Moss is understood to have replied: ‘I’m not the reason you are in relegation trouble - you are.”, among other comments.
While Cherries have no issue with an official defending his own position it understood they felt a line was crossed when Moss made reference to their position in the bottom three.
Sunday was the first occasion this term that Moss had taken charge of a game involving Bournemouth.