Mark Halsey , the controversial former elite referee who lost his role as a regular BT Sport pundit following Premier League upset , has had an invitation to speak to a regional referees association withdrawn following intervention from the highest level . Halsey was due to address the Sheffield Referee Association on how he beat cancer to continue as a top referee . But an objection from an unnamed football figure led to the national Referees Association persuading their Sheffield branch to embarrassingly cancel the appearance of Halsey , who was giving his services free . The email from Laura Ritchie , chairwoman of the RA , read : ‘ A senior member of the footballing world has brought it to our attention that you have invited Mark Halsey to be a guest speaker . It is a worry that a figure who is being very negative about top-flight referees won ’ t send the right message to members . It may be perceived Sheffield RA agree with his viewpoint. ’ Mark Halsey was invited to speak to the Sheffield Referee Association regarding his battle against cancer . However his planned appearance was cancelled after an unnamed football figure objected against the talk . Sheffield management then informed members : ‘ There was an agreement that we cancel Mark after pressure from the national RA and the wider football world. ’ And the Sheffield response to the RA said : ‘ Our irritation at having been placed in this position can not be underestimated . Are we saying that as referees , we are above criticism ? ’ FA refs chief David Elleray is president of the RA but on Monday night HE denied any involvement . However , Halsey ’ s strong views on a decline in refereeing standards is certainly born out by the widespread furore around their performances this season . BBC rugby co-commentator Brian Moore reacted to his perceived ‘ snub ’ at being one of the few TV pundits not included in ITV ’ s giant World Cup team by tweeting ‘ I ’ ve been told I ’ m too controversial for TV World Cup coverage . Too c*** , I could take but controversial , b*******. ’ However , it wasn ’ t ITV who told Moore he is controversial . The network , happy to employ the more volatile Roy Keane as a football pundit , have had no contact with Moore . BBC rugby co-commentator Brian Moore vented his frustration at being snubbed by ITV on Twitter . Van Praag bid blunder . FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag says , if elected , he intends to cut costs — something he ’ s never heard mentioned during six years of dealings with Zurich , where figures are just plucked out of the air , he claimed . Van Praag will also declare what his FIFA salary would be and wants to know what Sepp Blatter has been paid . The Dutch football leader , who has a budget of €400,000 from his national association for his campaign , is also concerned at the way Fox TV were given the rights to the World Cup in 2026 without a tender to end their resistance to a World Cup in Qatar . Yet all Van Praag ’ s good intentions are undone by his open offer to Blatter , who he says could carry on as a working honorary president concentrating on the Goal Project funding . Meanwhile , Portuguese contender Luis Figo is rich enough to fund his own campaign but this most charismatic of footballers couldn ’ t be more dull when he talks FIFA politics . Michael van Praag , pictured with Louis van Gaal in 2014 , has said he will cut costs if he replaces Sepp Blatter . Blatter is said to be so confident of winning a fifth term that he feels no need to mount any form of campaign and is addressing the UEFA Congress on Tuesday in his FIFA president ’ s slot rather than as a candidate . However , the 79-year-old is understood to have engaged well-known Swiss PR figure Klaus Stohlker to advise him on his election strategy . Stohlker , former TV journalist and political author , founded his own PR and consulting business in 1982 and is a long-time friend of Blatter ’ s . FIFA president Blatter is confident of beating off competition from the likes of Van Praag to win a fifth term . For all the shenanigans , scandals and infighting at the FA over the years , at least there ’ s never been such an unseemly episode as Germany ’ s FIFA executive member Theo Zwanziger reporting his successor as German federation president Wolfgang Niersbach to FIFA ’ s ethics committee over alleged pay and pension irregularities . It is a blatant attempt by Zwanziger to stop Niersbach taking his executive seat . FIFA have cleared Niersbach and UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said Zwanziger ’ s claims had been fully rejected , adding : ‘ It ’ s all a bit embarrassing for him and sad for German football. ’ Niersbach said : ‘ I have not heard of a similar story anywhere in football. ’ Theo Zwanziger ( left ) reported Wolfgang Niersbach ( right ) to FIFA 's ethics committee over pay irregularities .
mark ##sey was invited to join the Sheffield Referee Association . The former Premier League official had his invitation withdrawn . An unnamed football figure emerged which appealed to the national Referees association persuading their football branch to cancel the invitation . Halsey was due to talk about his battle against cancer .