Premier League referee Howard Webb has brought to an end 25 years of officiating and will become the Technical Director for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). The body has supplied officials for all top flight games in England since it was set up in 2001.
The Premier League announced the news via their official website and confirmed that in his new job the 43-year-old Yorkshire native will be "overseeing the technical direction and standards that govern the on-field performance of PGMOL’s match officials".
Webb will manage a training and coaching programme for the development of referees from Level 3 qualified to the 'Select Group', whilst also serving as a public face for the organisation.
Webb Refereed The 2010 World Cup Final
Speaking about his new role, Webb said, "I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career after a wonderfully rewarding 25 years on the pitch. 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."
He continued by saying, "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.
"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.”
