Howard Webb Ends 25-Year Professional Refereeing Career

Howard Webb has called time on his 25-year refereeing career to take up a technical director role for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). The well-respected match official has taken charge of more than 500 Barclays Premier League and Football League fixtures since becoming a Select
Group referee in 2003.
In his new role, the 43-year-old will oversee the standards of PGMOL's referees and work on the development programme that guides aspiring officials to the top level.
'I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career after a wonderfully rewarding 25 years on the pitch,' Webb said. 'I have spent over a decade with the best seat in the house for Barclays Premier League matches, been lucky enough to be involved in nine UEFA and FIFA tournaments, and taken charge of the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup finals.

'Refereeing has given me so much and it’s important that match officials who have had the rewards remain in the game to pass on their knowledge. 'I also have much more to learn about the business of refereeing and the best place for me to do that is with PGMOL. It’s an incredibly positive working environment and we all have a common goal of improving refereeing.'

The Rotherham-born referee added: 'Over the last five years in particular we have made huge strides in terms of our accuracy, fitness and professionalism. 'The current Select Group are the best referees this country has ever produced and I am thrilled that I not only get the chance to continue working with them but also the opportunity to help develop the next generation of Select Group officials.'

Webb started out in 1989 by refereeing games in the local leagues of Yorkshire and in 1993 progressed to the Northern Counties East League firstly as an assistant and later as a referee. A police sergeant with South Yorkshire Police, he took sabbatical leave to concentrate on his career when appointed an assistant referee in the top flight in 1998.

In 2010 Howard became the first referee to take charge of the UEFA Champions League Final and the FIFA World Cup Final in the same year. In 2011 he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to football.