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GFX Anthony Taylor Stuart AttwellGetty/GOAL
Peter McVitie

Which club does every Premier League referee support? List unveiled as PGMOL publishes conflict of interest policy

The idea of publicly announcing the teams that every Premier League referee supports was raised again on Thursday following comments from Howard Webb.

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  • PGMOL reveal conflict of interest policy
  • Teams that officials support published
  • Six-point plan to improve VAR also explained

  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) chief refereeing officer said the protocol the governing body uses to assess a conflict of interest between officials and certain teams will be laid out ahead of the new season after a string of controversial incidents last season.

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  • Stuart AtwellGetty

    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Most notably, Nottingham Forest complained about the appointment of Stuart Attwell, a Luton Town fan, as a VAR in a game against Everton when all three teams were locked in a relegation fight last term. Forest had three claims for a penalty turned away during the game as they lost 2-0 to the Toffees, resulting in the club published a statement saying they "cannot accept" the decisions and pointing to Attwell's apparent conflict of interest.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Following Webb's declaration that the policy on how to deal with such incidents will be revealed, some are calling for the teams that each official in the top-flight to be made public. The Mirror has already outlined the teams that some officials are known to support, as well as where they are from and which teams they are kept away from. Here is the list in alphabetical order.

    RefereeWhere they're fromTeams they support or are kept away from
    Sam Allison Chippenham, WiltshireBournemouth are one of the teams he played for, though he refereed them in his first season
    Stuart AttwellWarwickshireA known Luton fan
    Peter BankesLiverpoolIs kept away from Liverpool and Everton games
    Samuel Barrott West Riding, Yorkshire His allegiances are unclear
    Darren BondWiganWigan supporter but doesn't officiate Liverpool and Everton matches
    Thomas BramallSheffieldKept away from Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday matches
    John BrooksMelton MowbrayDoes not officiate Leicester games
    David CooteNottinghamA Notts County fan, he is not involved in Forest matches
    Darren EnglandBarnsleyIs a Barnsley fan who previously worked for the club
    Sunny Singh GillWest LondonAllegiances unknown
    Jarred GillettQueensland, AustraliaA Liverpool fan, he does not referee games involving Everton
    Tony HarringtonHartlepoolSupports Hartlepool and has no Premier League conflict of interest
    Simon Hooper SwindonA Swindon Town fan who played in their academy until age 16
    Rob JonesMerseysideNot involved in Everton or Liverpool matches
    Chris KavanaghGreater ManchesterSupports a non-League team
    Andrew MadleyHuddersfieldSupports League One team Huddersfield
    Robert MadleyHuddersfieldAlso supports Huddersfield
    Michael OliverNorthumberlandA Newcastle fan and does not referee Sunderland games
    Craig PawsonSheffieldA Sheffield United fan. Kept away from both United and Sheffield Wednesday matches
    Tim Robinson West SussexIt is not clear who he supports but he has officiated every team in the Premier League
    Michael SalisburyLancashireDoes officiate Everton or Liverpool games
    Graham ScottOxfordA Swindon Town fan and not kept away from any known Premier League teams
    Josh SmithPeterboroughHas no known conflict of interest in the top-flight but is kept away from Peterborough matches
    Lewis SmithWiganNo allegiances are known
    Anthony TaylorGreater ManchesterNo known allegiances
    Paul Tierney WiganIs a Wigan supporter
    Rebecca WelchTyne and WearHasn't been in charge of a Newcastle or Sunderland game

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  • Howard WebbGETTY

    WHAT NEXT?

    While the PGMOL apparently do not plan on releasing the teams the officials support, Webb did unveil a six-point plan to improve VAR ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. It includes semi-automated offsides as well as a way to clarifying the threshold for VAR to intervene in incidents.

    Meanwhile, the policy on declared allegiances has been published.