Premier League referees must maintain impartiality, with some unable to officiate games involving their own clubs or rivals.
Allegations of prejudice toward specific teams are widespread, despite referees stating their team loyalties throughout the recruitment process.
Some referees, such as Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver, have significant links to individual teams, yet their dedication to impartiality remains critical to their job.
Refereeing in the Premier League is a thankless job. It’s the traditional “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario. It’s a horrible state of affairs when the man in the middle’s desire causes him to become nearly invisible to the viewer and those there. If the officiating goes unnoticed for the entire 90 minutes, it usually indicates that the football center-circle operator did a good job.
Unfortunately for the men in black, the old political saying from poet John Lydgate “You can please some of the people all the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all the time” certainly rings true when it comes to officiating. When it comes to supporters’ evaluations of referees and their performances, accusations of secret allegiances or preferential treatment of specific clubs are widespread.
As with many professions, there is usually a vested interest in what one is doing, and in most cases, there is a love and shared passion. By extension, a referee usually follows a football team. While they may not be as outspoken about their support for a certain team as Mike Dean was with Tranmere Rovers, with the retiring referee a regular sight on the Prenton Park terraces, many a ref’s loyalty will be well known to fans.
With the men in the middle required to identify who they support throughout the application process to maintain impartiality, GIVEMESPORT investigates who the current crop of Premier League referees favor, according to a Mirror article.
Anthony Taylor Altrincham
Anthony Taylor is arguably one of the most well-known referees on this season’s officiating squad. The 46-year-old, who was demoted to the Championship following a poor decision in the 2023/24 season, began his career in the Northern Premier League as a 23-year-old, eventually climbing up the ranks and being officially appointed a Premier League referee in 2010.
Taylor has been a FIFA-registered official since 2013, with the authority to oversee both European and international matches, a distinction held by only a small number of British referees today. The stern ref hails from Wythenshawe, Manchester, and has been a lifetime fan of National League club Altrincham. He even buys a season ticket every year, despite the fact that he can only attend a few games.
Michael Oliver, Newcastle United
Footballers appear to generate footballers due to their strong genetic influence. In Michael Oliver’s instance, it appears that referees can also breed referees, as his father practiced the same trade before him. Incredibly, he imparted the officiating exercise to his 14-year-old son.
Born and reared just 15 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne, it’s no wonder that the 40-year-old has always supported Newcastle United. Understandably, Oliver hasn’t refereed a Magpies game since his Premier League debut in 2010, regardless of the opposition.
Andrew Madley
Huddersfield Town
The 41-year-old is the older brother of former Premier League referee Bobby Madley, and he only took the field for his first Premier League game in 2019 after being promoted to the Select Group 1 referee list, so he is a relative newcomer in comparison to some of the veterans who are currently working as officials.
Andrew Madley, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, is a big Huddersfield Town fan who, like his brother, has impressively stayed true to his roots. Now a respected man in black, he attended the Huddersfield Town School of Excellence before joining Bobby on a refereeing course at Altofts Cricket Club.
Peter Bankes: Unknown
After starting on the often thankless road of refereeing at the age of 14, Peter Bankes would have heard every insult under the sun by now. However, over 25 years later, Bankes is still frequenting football pitches in that unmistakable black kit, albeit in front of tens of thousands rather than just a man and his dog.
Bankes is from Liverpool, and who he supports is one of football’s biggest mysteries. However, considering his geographical location, an informed bet would place Bankes as a fan of the two clubs on either side of Stanley Park. Interestingly, he has never presided over a match between Liverpool, Everton, or Tranmere Rovers.
Notts County’s David Coote
David Coote, like the aforementioned Bankes, has been quite coy about the personal information that is publicly available about him. The Nottinghamshire native began his career as a top-flight official in 2018. He is the son of a former Nottinghamshire cricketer, David Coote Sr.
However, prior of the Carabao Cup final in 2022/23 between Manchester United and Newcastle, many were concerned that he was a Red Devil because his supposed Facebook page included a generic shot of Old Trafford as its cover photo. Subsequently, the PGMOL confirmed that his allegiances are with Nottinghamshire.
Despite this, he later faced public criticism and was suspended by the PGMOL after a video surfaced showing him slamming Liverpool and its previous manager, Jurgen Klopp. This ultimately resulted in his dismissal in December 2024.
Rob Jones: Unknown
With arguably the most frequent name on this season’s refereeing spreadsheet, Rob Jones’ life and times leave plenty to the imagination, with who he supports staying unknown. He has been a referee in the English Football League since 2016 and became a Premier League official three years later.
All we know is that Jones is from Merseyside, and his parents lacked inventiveness in naming him. You may hedge your bets based on the fact that he grew up in the northeast of England, most likely surrounded by Liverpool or Everton fans – but his allegiance is still unknown for the time being.
John Brookes: Unknown.
John Brooks, who was born in the Midlands town of Melton Mowbray, home of the country’s most famous pork pie, has kept his political beliefs private. The same can be stated for his officiating approach, as the official has issued only one red card thus far in the 2023/24 season.
Brooks, another official who began his refereeing career at the age of 14, is a newcomer to the Select Group, having only joined at the start of the 2021/22 season. He is affiliated with the Leicestershire and Rutland County Football Association; who he supports is unknown, however it is worth noting that he has never refereed a Leicester City game.
Stuart Attwell, Luton Town
Stuart Attwell is currently the longest-serving referee in England’s top flight, having presided over Premier League games since 2008. After 183 Premier League appearances and almost 200 EFL games, Attwell is a seasoned professional in his 16th season as a first-division referee.
For the first time in his professional career, his loyalty to Luton Town will have a direct impact on his ability to referee the club’s games following their promotion to the Premier League ahead of the 2023/24 season. However, criticism erupted after Attwell was involved in three egregious mistakes against Nottingham Forest, Luton’s relegation rivals, in their 2-0 defeat to Everton.
Craig Pawson, Sheffield United
Craig Pawson, who has been FIFA-listed since 2015, is one of the Premier League’s most experienced referees. The 46-year-old, who is affiliated with the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Football Association, is widely regarded as one of the best referees in England’s top flight right now.
The Yorkshireman, who hails from the Steel City, is a well-known Sheffield United fan and a fixture in and around the Bramall Lane stands. Pawson made important appearances in the 2015 League Cup Final, the “spy-gate” play-off game between Leeds and Derby, and as the fourth official in the 2015 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa.
Darren Bond Unknown
Refereeing is not for the faint of heart, but Darren Bond’s ability to take abuse is impressive. For much of last season, Bond wore a headband with his silvery quiff, appearing to style it after none other than Jack Grealish. Naturally, Bond opened himself up to a barrage of hair-related comments from people who disagreed with his decision-making.
The 2023/24 season marked Bond’s first opportunity as a full-fledged Premier League referee, replacing the outgoing Andre Marriner. For diplomacy, Bond’s neutrality in proclaiming his colours means we have yet to discover out who he supports.
Simon Hooper, Swindon Town
A certain level of respect must be held for a Swindon Town supporter, given the club’s calamitous history since its relegation from the top flight in the 1993/94 season, with the vast majority of their existence spent in the nation’s third and fourth tiers of football. Even in the Premier League, they concluded 1993/94 with the most goals surrendered in a single season.
Simon Hooper is one such sad soul, but fortunately for the referee, he gets to take regular breaks from fourth-tier football by overseeing some of the best players in the world in England’s top flight. The West Country native will not be welcomed in Wolverhampton anytime soon, having missed a clear penalty as Man United’s Andre Onana collided with Wolves’ Sasa Kalajdzic.
Thomas Bramall: Unknown
Thomas Bramall, 33, is the 2023-24 Premier League’s youngest official. Bramall, who has been in the Premier League and the EFL Championship, will be recognizable to many fans in both divisions, as well as a big percentage of the football league, having begun his path to the officiating pinnacle in the National League in 2017.
Soon after, the Manchester Football Association product made his Football League debut against Cheltenham Town and Crawley in 2018. Bramall, who hails from the aptly called “Rainy City,” has yet to proclaim his loyalty to a team, and with so many clubs in and around Greater Manchester, who knows.
Paul Tierney represents Wigan Athletic.
The 44-year-old has been refereeing in the Premier League since 2014, overseeing 180 games throughout his time at the highest level, much to the chagrin of Jurgen Klopp, who is clearly not a fan of the referee. After all, he previously received a two-match touchline ban and a £75,000 fine for comments he made about the referee that implied an anti-Liverpool bias.
The Lancashire man’s sporting engagement extends beyond football; he is the stepfather of former rugby league player Lewis Tierney. Paul Tierney is a well-known fan of his hometown club, Wigan Athletic, who presently compete in England’s League One.
Darren England
Barnsley
Darren England, who hails from Barnsley, Yorkshire, made his Football League debut in 2015 before progressing to become a top-flight official in 2020 and a FIFA-listed referee in 2022. England, true to his Northern upbringing, loves local team Barnsley and has even worked for the club’s community trust.
England was elevated to the Select Group for the Premier League season beginning in 2021, and his promotion to the country’s top flight comes 16 years after he took command of his first Barnsley Sunday League match at the age of 18. England struggled in his debut when a player was sent off for a headbutt.
Graham Scott, Swindon Town
Graham Scott, a former Abingdon Town goalkeeper, was promoted to the Select Group in 2015 and has been playing in the Premier League ever since, overseeing 105 games – fortunately, he does not support any of the 20 teams in the top level.
Scott, who lives in Oxford, is a diehard follower of Swindon Town, just like the aforementioned Simon Hooper, and has faced some difficulties in his personal life over time. He is unable to referee the Robins due to his club loyalties, and refereeing Oxford United matches is also out of the question due to his location.
Jarred Gillett – Liverpool
Despite being from Australia, Jarred Gillett supports a Premier League team. Indeed, in 2019, the five-time A-League Referee headed to Anfield to serve as the fourth official when Liverpool Legends defeated AC Milan Legends 3-2.
By 2021, he had become a top-flight referee in England, and he was barred from officiating any future Reds games. Brenton Speed, a Fox Sports pundit, revealed (via Goal) how it all works.
“That will be the last game he officiates at Anfield because he had to fill out a form when he decided to join the referees’ board over there, and you have to fill in the team you supported as a boy/man, and he said Liverpool. So that means you’re out of all of their games, home and away.”
Tim Robinson: Unknown
Tim Robinson’s first season as a referee in the top level is in 2023/24. Since being upgraded from taking supervision of EFL games last season, the Premier League has been a tornado of controversy.
The former PE teacher, who hails from West Sussex, has no known allegiances. Despite being a member of the Brighton referee association, Robinson has previously officiated in a number of matches involving the Seagulls, ruling Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton & Hove Albion out of consideration as the team he supports.
Howard Webb, PGMOL Chief, Rotherham United.
Howard Webb, a Premier League referee who oversaw 296 games between 2003 and 2014, is presently the chief refereeing officer of Professional Game Match Officials Limited. He’s been in the position since August 2022.
Throughout his career, he was accused of being a Manchester United fan; however, he actually supports
Rotherham United. He followed them ardently as a child, saying: “As a kid, I had a season ticket. I went all over the country with the fans on the bus.” Because of his support for the Millers, he was unable to attend Sheffield Wednesday or United games.
Referee
Where are they from?
Supported Club (with further information)
Sam Allison
Chippenham, Wiltshire.
Unknown
Stewart Attwell
Warwickshire
Luton Town
Peter Bankes
Liverpool
Unknown (has not played in any games against Liverpool or Everton).
Samuel Barrott
West Riding, Yorkshire
Unknown
Darren Bond
Wigan
Wigan
Thomas Bramall
Sheffield
Unknown (has not appeared in any games featuring Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United)
John Brooks
Melton Mowbray
Unknown (does not take charge of Leicester City games)
David Coote*
Nottingham
Notts County (not participating in Nottingham Forest matches)
Darren England
Barnsley
Barnsley
Sunny Singh Gill
West London
Unknown
Jarred Gillett
Australia
Liverpool (not participating in Liverpool or Everton games)
Tony Harrington
Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Simon Hooper
Swindon Town
Swindon Town
Rob Jones
Wirral, Merseyside.
Unknown (did not participate in Liverpool or Everton matches).
Chris Kavanaugh
Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.
Droylsden
Andy Madley
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town
Bobby Madley
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town
Michael Oliver
Ashington, Northumberland.
Newcastle United (not participating in Newcastle or Sunderland matches)
Craig Pawson
Sheffield
Sheffield United (not participating in any games involving Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United).
Tim Robinson
Middleton-on-sea, West Sussex
Unknown
Michael Salisbury
Higher Penwortham, Lancashire.
Unknown (did not participate in Liverpool or Everton matches).
Graham Scott
Oxford
Swindon Town
Josh Smith
Peterborough
Unknown
Lewis Smith
Wigan
Unknown
Anthony Taylor
Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester.
Altrincham
Howard Webb*
Rotherham
Rotherham United (not participated in the Sheffield United or Sheffield Wednesday games).
*No longer refs Premier League matches.
xz
