Which football teams do Premier League referees support?
Premier League referees are often the villains of matches in the top flight.
Whether a team has been outplayed and beaten 5-0 or fallen to a late winner, there's always discussion post-match from fans over how their team was unjustly treated by the officials in the middle.
Like most supporters, however, referees have their own love of the game and follow their own teams. But how do their allegiances affect their jobs?
Premier League referees & the teams they support
- Martin Atkinson - Leeds
- Stuart Attwell - Luton Town
- Peter Bankes - Unknown
- John Brookes - Unknown
- David Coote - Unknown
- Mike Dean - Tranmere
- Darren England - Barnsley
- Kevin Friend - Bristol City and Leicester
- Jarred Gillett - Unknown
- Tony Harrington - Hartlepool
- Simon Hooper - Swindon
- Rob Jones - Unknown
- Andy Madley - Huddersfield
- Andre Marriner - Aston Villa
- Jon Moss - Sunderland
- Michael Oliver - Newcastle
- Craig Pawson - Sheffield United
- Michael Salisbury - Unknown
- Graham Scott - Swindon
- Anthony Taylor - Altrincham
- Paul Tierney - Wigan
Can Premier League referees officiate teams they support?
There are rules in place to prevent referees from taking charge of games involving teams they support or matches that otherwise affect those clubs.
Keith Hackett, the former head of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has previously revealed background information is collated at the start of every season to ensure appointments make as much sense as possible.
Michael Oliver, who has refereed in the Premier League since 2010, is a Newcastle supporter and subsequently has never taken charge of a game involving the Magpies.
Andre Marriner is from Birmingham and supports Aston Villa, meaning he cannot officiate games involving either Birmingham or Villa. He has, however, officiated two West Brom games.
Has a referee officiated a team they support before?
Yes. Before the allegiance rules came in, Mark Halsey took charge of two Queens Park Rangers matches in the 1990s, overseeing a win and a loss.
However, he later revealed he remained professional during those games and didn't want to referee anymore QPR matches due to the experience.
When are Premier League match appointments confirmed?
Most Premier League referee appointments are announced each Monday. If there is a game on a Monday, they are then revealed on the Tuesday instead.
Appointments are made by Professional Game Match Officials Board, who take into account factors like the referee's experience, current form, how often they've refereed the teams involved, who they support and any upcoming international appointments.