Referee involved in Albion's game at Crystal Palace dropped for this weekend for protocol breaches

Top-flight whistler Mark Clattenburg broke Premier League code to speak on the phone to Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock after Saturday's 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.

The 39-year-old then left the ground alone to drive to Newcastle to watch pop star Ed Sheeran in concert at the Metro Arena.

The referees body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, says officials must travel to and from the ground together for integrity and security.

Premier League rules state all officials must be present during a conversation with a manager, which means an official can't make or take calls from club managers away from the ground.

Clattenburg also talked to Palace manager Neil Warnock while in his car, even though the Premier League code allows officials to speak to managers after a game only when all the assistants are present or with the permission of referees' body Professional Game Match Officials Limited.

The PGMOL do not want a situation between manager and referee which might escalate to being one version of a conversation against the other.

It is understood controversial boss Warnock had wanted to discuss two incidents with Clattenburg - Wilfried Zaha being denied a penalty and a challenge by Craig Dawson on Julian Speroni that led to a goal and the injured keeper being substituted.

After the game Warnock said: "It's just like an assault. How come one of the four officials doesn't see that?

"Dawson goes for about five yards with his elbow and smashes him in the face.

"I have not seen something like that since Bert Trautmann," added Warnock, referring to how Manchester City's keeper famously suffered a broken neck in a challenge with Birmingham City's Peter Murphy in the 1956 FA Cup final.

The Premier League called it "an internal matter" that Clattenburg had not being given a match before expected Champions League duties next week.