Select Group
The Select Group is a panel of football referees appointed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to officiate matches in the Premier League, as well as the Football League, FA Cup and Carling Cup. The panel was established in 2001, when referees in England became professional.[1]
Select Group Referees for 2010/11 Season
| Name | Home County | Age | Select Group Ref. Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Atkinson | West Yorkshire | 53 years, 102 days | 2005 |
| Stuart Attwell | Warwickshire | 41 years, 279 days | 2008 |
| Mark Clattenburg | Tyne and Wear | 49 years, 120 days | 2004 |
| Mike Dean | Cheshire | 56 years, 39 days | 2001 |
| Phil Dowd | Staffordshire | 61 years, 167 days | 2001 |
| Chris Foy | Merseyside | 61 years, 234 days | 2001 |
| Kevin Friend | Leicestershire | 53 years, 3 days | 2009 |
| Mark Halsey | Lancashire | 63 years, 3 days | 2001 |
| Mike Jones | Cheshire | 56 years, 84 days | 2008 |
| Andre Marriner | West Midlands | 53 years, 192 days | 2005 |
| Lee Mason | Lancashire | 52 years, 256 days | 2006 |
| Michael Oliver | Northumberland | 39 years, 142 days | 2010 |
| Lee Probert | Wiltshire | 51 years, 333 days | 2007 |
| Anthony Taylor | Manchester | - | 2010 |
| Peter Walton | Northamptonshire | 64 years, 275 days | 2003 |
| Howard Webb | South Yorkshire | 52 years, 363 days | 2003 |
Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor were promoted to the Select Group for the 2010/11 season. They replace Alan Wiley and Steve Bennett who both retired to become referee coaches. On 21 August 2010 Oliver became the youngest referee to take charge of a Premier League game when he refereed Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers[2], beating the record set by Stuart Attwell in August 2008[3]. Oliver would have would have broken the record in January 2010 when he was scheduled to officiate the Fulham v Portsmouth match, however the game was postponed and Oliver had undergone an ankle operation by the time the match had been rearranged.
Anthony Taylor took charge of the Fulham v Portsmouth game when it was rearranged in February 2010 and was also in charge of the Birmingham v Wigan Premier League game later the same month before he was promoted to the Select Group before the start of the 2010/11 season.
FIFA Listed
The following referees are currently eligible to be appointed by UEFA and FIFA to international matches[4]:
- Martin Atkinson
- Stuart Attwell
- Mark Clattenburg
- Mike Dean
- Andre Marriner
- Lee Probert
- Howard Webb
Former Select Group Referees
| Name | Home County | Years in Select Group | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Bennett | Kent | 2001-2010 | Retired |
| Alan Wiley | Staffordshire | 2001-2010 | Retired |
| Uriah Rennie | South Yorkshire | 2001-2009 (FIFA 2000-2005) | Retired due to injury |
| Rob Styles | Hampshire | 2001-2009 (FIFA 2002-2009) | Retired |
| Steve Tanner | Somerset | 2007-2009 (FIFA 2008-2009) | Demoted to National List - still refereeing |
| Barry Knight | Kent | 2001-2008 | Retired due to injury |
| Matt Messias | Cheshire | 2001-2006 (FIFA 2003-2006) | Demoted and Resigned |
| Neale Barry | Lincolnshire | 2001-2005 | Retired to become Head of Refeering Development |
| Mike Riley | West Yorkshire | 2001-2009 (FIFA 1999-2009) | Retired to head PGMOL |
| Keith Stroud | Dorset | 2007-2009 | Demoted to National List - still refereeing |
| Dermot Gallagher | Oxfordshire | 2001-2007 (FIFA 1994-2002) | Retired - now Match Assessor |
| Graham Poll | Hertfordshire | 2001-2007 (FIFA 1996-2007) | Retired - now media commentator |
| Andy D'Urso | Essex | 2001-2005 (FIFA 2001-2005) | Demoted to National List - still refereeing |
| Jeff Winter | Lancashire | 2001-2004 | Retired |
| Graham Barber | Hertfordshire | 2001-2004 (FIFA 1998-2004) | Retired |
| Paul Durkin | Dorset | 2001-2004 (FIFA) | Retired |
| Peter Jones | Leicestershire | 2001-2002 (FIFA 1996-2002) | Retired |
| David Elleray | Kent | 2001-2003 (FIFA 1992-1999) | Retired |
| Steve Dunn | Gloucestershire | 2001-2006 (FIFA 1997-2002) | Retired due to injury |
