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WHICH TEAMS DO THE PL REFEREES SUPPORT?

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:41 am
by Sven
Which football teams do Premier League referees support?
By Henry Collier


Saturday 13th April 2019


Premier League referees have to remain completely impartial when they are on the field - but most of them do have a club allegiance


The fact that referees make mistakes is hardly breaking news.

The fact that referees support football teams, even Premier League teams in some cases, is also hardly breaking news.


But referees officiating a game involving their team, giving all the decisions to the opposition because they support them. Now That WOULD be breaking news, but unfortunately it’s not the case.

We’re sorry to say that that is one criticism you can’t throw at the officials. Premier League laws state that they aren’t allowed to officiate games involving the teams they support nor are they allowed to cover their rivals games.

So, that’s one criticism you can’t throw at officials. Below is everything you need to know about the officials who make the important decisions when the white line is crossed.


Martin Atkinson

Hometown: Bradford
Joined Premier League: 2005
Supports: Leeds United

Biggest games refereed:
FA Cup final 2011 - Manchester City 1-0 Stoke
Championship play-off final 2013 - Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford
Capital One Cup final 2014 - Manchester City 3-1 Sunderland

One of the more senior referees in the circuit, Atkinson is a FIFA-listed official. Atkinson became an assistant referee in 1998 and has moved up the leagues ever since, making his premier league debut in April 2005. The Bradford born official is also one of a select group of referees who is an Elite FIFA referee.


Michael Oliver

Hometown: Ashington
Joined Premier League: 2010
Supports: Newcastle United

Biggest games refereed:
A Cup final 2018 - Manchester United 0-1 Chelsea
EFL Cup final 2016 - Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (City won 3-1 on pens)
Community Shield 2014 - Manchester City 0-3 Arsenal

At the age of just 25, Michael Oliver became the youngest referee to ever officiate a Premier League game when he took charge of Birmingham and Blackburn in 2010. Oliver is a FIFA-listed referee and has taken charge of various Champions League and international ties since.


Jon Moss

Hometown: Sunderland
Joined Premier League: 2011
Supports: Sunderland

Biggest game refereed:
FA Cup final 2015- Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa

Moss spent six seasons refereeing in the Northern Counties and Northern Premier league before being promoted to the football league, firstly as an assistant, before moving on to becoming a referee. Moss had previously been a school teacher, and Liverpool midfielder James Milner was one of his pupils.


Andre Marriner

Hometown: Birmingham
Joined Premier League: 2005
Supports: Aston Villa

Biggest games refereed:
FA Cup final 2013 - Wigan 1-0 Manchester City
Championship Playoff final 2008 - Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff
Community Shield 2010 Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea

Marriner’s first game as a top flight official was the game between Charlton Athletic and Norwich City in 2005, and he has refereed at the top flight ever since. The Birmingham born official has also taken charge of various Europa League ties and European Championship qualifiers in that time.


Anthony Taylor

Hometown: Manchester
Joined Premier League: 2010
Supports: Altrincham

Biggest games refereed:
FA Cup final 2017 - Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
EFL final 2015- Chelsea 2-0 Spurs
Championship Playoff final 2018 - Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

After eight years officiating in non-league, and four years in the Football league, Taylor took charge of his first Premier League game in 2010. In 2017, Taylor was given the job of officiating the FA Cup FInal between Arsenal and Chelsea , his biggest job to date.


Mike Dean

Hometown: Wirral
Joined Premier League: 2000
Supports: Tranmere Rovers

Biggest games refereed:
FA Cup final 2008 - Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff
EFL final 2011 - Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham
April 2010 - Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea (EPL)

Perhaps the most high-profile of the current crop of referees, Dean is also the longest serving referee out of the current crop. In April 2019, Mike Dean brandished a record breaking 100th red card in the Premier League. Ashley Young was the unfortunate man who received two yellow cards in Manchester united’s defeat at Wolves .


Craig Pawson

Craig Pawson has become an established Premier League referee (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Hometown: Sheffield
Joined Premier League: 2013
Supports: Sheffield United

Biggest games refereed:
League 2 Play-off final 2012 - Crewe 2-0 Cheltenham
Community Shield 2016 - Leicester 1-2 Manchester United
FA Cup semi-final 2017 - Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City

20 years after first becoming a referee, Pawson took charge of his first Premier League game when Swansea hosted Newcastle in 2013. Prior to joining the Premier League, Pawson officiated in the football league, including the League 2 play-off final between Crewe and Cheltenham.


Kevin Friend

Hometown: Tottenham, London
Joined Premier League: 2009
Supports: Bristol City/Leicester City

Biggest games refereed:
EFL final 2013 - Swansea 5-0 Bradford
Community Shield 2012 - Chelsea 2-3 Manchester City

Friend refereed a number of games in local football and the midlands leagues, before working through the Football League pyramid. Friend refereed high profile EFL games before moving to the Premier League, including the semi-final between Hull and Watford in 2008.


Lee Mason

Hometown: Bolton
Supports: Bolton Wanderers

Biggest games refereed:
Championship Play-off final - QPR 1-0 Derby County
League 1 Play-off final - Barnsley 2-2 Swansea (Barnsley 5-4 Swansea on penalties)

Mason was an official in the North-West counties League before working his way up the football ladder. Mason has often been the man charged with the biggest EFL games, being a part of the officiating team for the Championship play-off final on two occasions.


Chris Kavanagh

Hometown: Manchester
Supports: Unknown

Biggest games refereed:
Liverpool 1-0 Everton (EPL)
FA Trophy Final 2018: Bromley 1-1 Brackley (Brackley won 5-4 on penalties)

Kavanagh started refereeing in the Football League in 2014 and has been building a reputation ever since. Kavanagh’s debut in the Premier League came in 2017 when he was in the middle for West Brom v Southampton .


Other Premier League referees

Roger East: PL since 2013, from Wiltshire, supports unknown.

Graham Scott: PL since 2015, from Oxford, supports Swindon Town.

Stuart Attwell: PL since 2016, from Nuneaton, supports Luton Town.

Paul Tierney: PL since 2016, from Wigan, supports Wigan Athletic.

David Coote: PL since 2018, from Nottingham, supports unknown.

Simon Hooper: PL since 2018, from Wiltshire, supports Swindon Town

Re: WHICH TEAMS DO THE PL REFEREES SUPPORT?

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 4:15 pm
by fred keenor
And anyone who is playing against Cardiff :-)

Re: WHICH TEAMS DO THE PL REFEREES SUPPORT?

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:01 pm
by CF23 Bluebird
fred keenor wrote:And anyone who is playing against Cardiff :-)

You're not wrong there

Re: WHICH TEAMS DO THE PL REFEREES SUPPORT?

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 8:02 am
by NIBluebird
fred keenor wrote:And anyone who is playing against Cardiff :-)


Was going to say the same :lol:

Re: WHICH TEAMS DO THE PL REFEREES SUPPORT?

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 11:15 am
by fred keenor
Ian Holloway on talk sport this morning stated in all his time in football he has never seen so many bad decisions against one club .

Re: WHICH TEAMS DO THE PL REFEREES SUPPORT?

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 5:12 pm
by Bluebina
fred keenor wrote:Ian Holloway on talk sport this morning stated in all his time in football he has never seen so many bad decisions against one club .



And he's right, it's gone on for years, but this was the worst I can ever remember !!!

Without all the penalties and bad decisions against us, they allow the other teams five or six fouls before a booking and we pick one up at the first or second foul, that also makes a massive difference to the outcomes although more subtle and not picked up by Match of the Day or the pundits in general, but we've all seen it especially this season !!!!