After losing his status as an elite Premiership Referee following allegations about his personal life and business debts, Mark Clattenburg was given a lifeline following the decision to cut his ban down to just 8 month rather than the lifetime ban first handed down.

Via DailyMail

Clattenburg appealed against the decision and had his ban cut to eight months. His original suspension started on August 6, 2008, allowing him to resume duty in April, probably in the Football League.

A PGMO spokesman for the referees’ body said: ‘Following an investigation Clattenburg was initially dismissed.

‘The Appeal Panel concluded the original decision should be upheld but a less severe sanction imposed.’

Clattenburg, 33, had been due to take charge of last August’s Community Shield clash between Manchester United and Portsmouth but was replaced by Peter Walton following allegations that he had threatened a business associate in an email.

The north east-based official, who ran his own electrical firm, denied all the claims made against him.