Managers should reverse the ruling and let staff share their pride in backing the national team.

He could not, he explained, reverse the ruling because that would not be within his remit.

At a meeting the following morning he was confronted by the home secretary, who demanded to know why the department had failed to reverse the ruling.

But as the weighed-in had been given they had to reverse that ruling.

The replay official may reverse a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces him beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect.