Premier League referees rotary to have huge effect on Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham
PGMOL will undergo significant change next season as several key figures step down.
Mike Riley, the head of referees, has announced that he will step down as general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) at the end of the season.
The 57-year-old has been in the role since 2009, following a 20-year career as an elite referee, but he announced his resignation on Saturday in response to a Telegraph report. Riley's decision to leave PGMOL is the latest in a series of significant changes for Premier League refereeing, with long-serving officials Mike Dean, Jon Moss, Kevin Friend, and Martin Atkinson also opting out of the 2022/23 season after retiring.
His tenure as PGMOL president will be remembered primarily for overseeing the controversial introduction of the video assistant refereeing system (VAR) in 2019, for which he received frequent criticism from top-flight clubs as he struggled to deal with the associated challenges. The Telegraph also reported that several Premier League clubs were pushing for a change at PGMOL due to what they perceived to be too many errors during Riley's tenure.
Riley said in a statement, "I am proud of the contribution our match officials have made to the professional game and have enjoyed working with such a dedicated, professional, and high-quality group at all of the levels that PGMOL manages."
"As the Elite Referee Development Plan takes shape, now is the time to plan for the future and allow the new leadership team to build on the solid foundations we've established." I'm looking forward to working with the new team and giving them my support before I step down."
"On behalf of the Premier League, I would like to thank Mike for his valuable contribution and significant commitment to PGMOL over the last 13 years, as well as his considerable service to the game as an elite referee for 20 years," Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said. He has worked hard at PGMOL to deliver and develop high-quality match officials across the professional game and Three seasons ago, he spearheaded the implementation of VAR in the Premier League."
Riley's replacement is already in the works, with the Telegraph reporting that Howard Webb is in line to become the Premier League's chief refereeing officer in December. Clubs are said to welcome the 50-year-profile old's and reputation in the game as an ideal fit for the high-pressure role.
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