Styles handed match despite penalty error

Match official Rob Styles has been given a Premier League game to referee next weekend despite admitting he mistakenly awarded a penalty to Manchester United on Saturday.

It is understood Styles has made private contact with Bolton today to apologise for giving a spot-kick to United when defender Jlloyd Samuel fairly tackled Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

Under the self-regulation policy of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for top referees, officials who make mistakes often miss out on refereeing a Premier League match the following weekend.

That has not happened in this case as referees’ chief Keith Hackett has decided to back Styles, and he will be in charge for Tottenham v Hull on Sunday.

It is not the first time Styles has made an apology for a mistake on the field - last season he did so publicly to Liverpool for a penalty error when Steve Finnan challenged Florent Malouda. He was excluded from the next Premier League programme on that occasion.

United went on to win Saturday’s match against Bolton 2-0 and even manager Alex Ferguson was surprised about the decision.

Bolton boss Gary Megson said after the match that he would not welcome a call from Styles.

Megson said: “I don’t want him to ring me up. I would have more respect from him if he just holds his hands up and says he was wrong.”