TT linesman out W/Cup

Under the new system of fielding the referee and his two assistants working together as a team at the finals, linesmen Anthony Garwood of Jamaica and Joseph Taylor of Trinidad and Tobago, are also now out of the tournament.

In a statement FIFA explained that medical examinations confirmed that Prendergast would not be fit enough to officiate at any matches at the finals which start on June 9.

FIFA will announce their replacements later.

Prendergast is the second referee to be withdrawn from the tournament after Italy’s Massimo De Santis was pulled out by the Italian Football Federation. De Santis is under investigation in a probe into possible football fraud in Italy.

On Wednesday the 21 referees and 42 assistant referees who will be in action in Germany will be joined by the support and development group — five reserve referees and 10 reserve linesmen — for a final fitness test, which will be conducted at their headquarters in Frankfurt/Neu-Isenburg. (REUTERS)