The Select Group is a panel of English professional football referees and assistant referees, appointed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). The group was first formed in 2001, when England became the first country to use fully professional referees in its top flight. [1]
In August 2023, the PGMOL provided an update of match officials ahead of the forthcoming season. There are 20 Select Group 1 referees, 30 Select Group 1 assistant referees, 22 Select Group 2 referees, and 33 Select Group 2 assistant referees. [2] [3]
In August 2023, the PGMOL provided an update of match officials ahead of the forthcoming season. There are 17 Women's Super League referees, 22 Women's Super League assistant referees, 22 Women's Championship referees, and 36 Women's Championship assistant referees, although some officials hold dual roles. [4]
There are 16 referees, 19 assistant referees, and 11 video match officials on the 2024 FIFA International List, although some hold dual roles. [5]
Some former and current Select Group 1 officials have overseen major international final matches.
Former Select Group 1 assistant referee Phil Sharp was a part of the team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final. [6]
Howard Webb adjudicated the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final and subsequently the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. Webb was supported on both occasions by assistant referees Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey. [7] [8]
Mark Clattenburg has supervised the 2012 Olympic Final, the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final, and subsequently the UEFA Euro 2016 Final. The assistant referees that supported Clattenburg during these finals, were: Simon Beck, Steve Child, and Jake Collin. [9] [10] [11]
Anthony Taylor has officiated the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final, and the 2023 UEFA Europa League final. For each final, Taylor was supported by assistant referees Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn. [12] [13] [14]
Michael Oliver refereed the 2022 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt. He was assisted by Stuart Burt and Simon Bennett. [15]
These officials made it to Select Group 2, but not Select Group 1.
Mark Clattenburg is an English former professional football referee.
Howard Melton Webb MBE is an English former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League from 2003 to 2014, as well as for FIFA as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is the body responsible for refereeing games in English professional football.
The Brian Clough Trophy is contested whenever East Midlands rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest play each other. The trophy is named after Brian Clough, who managed both clubs to great success. The trophy is currently held by Nottingham Forest.
Wendy Ann Toms is an English former football referee from Broadstone, Dorset who has officiated in the Football League and then the Premier League, both as an assistant referee. She was the first female ever to fulfil such roles at those levels. She also served for FIFA on the women's international list. Her other occupation is as a parcel post manager.
Stuart Steven Attwell is an English referee who referees in the Premier League.
The Football League play-offs for the 2007–08 season were held in May 2008, with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium in London. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Championship and League One tables, and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in League Two. The semi-final winners progressed to the finals, with the winner of each match earning promotion for the following season.
Michael Oliver is an English professional football referee from Ashington, Northumberland. His county FA is the Northumberland Football Association. He belongs to the Select Group of Referees in England and officiates primarily in the Premier League. He received his FIFA badge in 2012, allowing him to officiate in major international matches. Oliver was appointed to take charge of the final of the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Oliver was promoted to the UEFA Elite Group of Referees in 2018.
Sian Louise Massey-Ellis MBE is an English football match official who officiates generally in the role of assistant referee in the Premier League and the Football League. She has also been appointed to matches in the Football League Trophy, UEFA Women's Champions League, FIFA Women's World Cup qualification rounds, the FIFA Women's World Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Massey-Ellis was appointed to the FIFA list of women assistant referees in 2009 and turned professional in 2010.
The 2014 UEFA Super Cup was the 39th edition of the UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The match featured two Spanish teams Real Madrid and Sevilla, the winners of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League and the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League respectively. It was played at the Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on 12 August 2014. The date was moved from Friday in late August in previous years, to mid-August starting this year, following the removal of the August international friendly date in the new FIFA International Match Calendar.
Robert Madley is an English professional football referee who was on the list of Select Group Referees who officiate primarily in the Premier League between 2013 and 2018. He officiated in the Football League as a referee from 2010 and was one of the youngest officials to progress to the top-flight of English football.
The Football League play-offs for the 2012–13 season were held in May 2013 with all finals being staged at Wembley Stadium in London.
Paul Rejer is an English former football referee.
Andrew Madley is an English football referee from Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
The English Football League play-offs for the 2016–17 season were held in May 2017 with all finals being staged at Wembley Stadium in London.
The English Football League play-offs for the 2017–18 season (referred to as the Sky Bet Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) were held in May 2018 with all finals being staged at Wembley Stadium in London. The play-offs began in each league with two semi-finals played over two legs. The teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Championship and League One and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th-placed teams in League Two competed. The winners of the semi-finals advanced to the finals, with the winners gaining promotion for the following season.
The 2021 UEFA Nations League final was a football match that determined the winners of the final tournament of the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. It was the second final of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The match was held on 10 October 2021 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, and was contested by Spain and France.
Darren England is a Premier League football referee, who was promoted in August 2020. In December 2021, the PGMOL announced that England had been added to the 2022 FIFA List of International Match Officials.
Darren Cann. is a Premier League assistant referee (linesman). In 2010, he officiated both The UEFA Champions League Final and The FIFA World Cup Final.
Robert Jones is an English football referee. He has refereed in the English Football League since 2016 and the Premier League since 2019. He was the referee for the 2016 National League play-off final, the 2018 EFL League One play-off final and the 2020 EFL League One play-off final.