Referees chief Mike Riley has announced that he will step down as general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) next season.
The 57-year-old has been in the role since 2009 which he took on following his own 20-year career as an elite referee but confirmed his departure from the role on Saturday following a report from the Telegraph. Riley’s decision to leave PGMOL is another step in wide-ranging changes for Premier League refereeing, with long-serving officials Mike Dean, Jon Moss, Kevin Friend and Martin Atkinson also not returning for the 2022/23 season after retiring.
His time in charge of PGMOL will mostly be remembered for overseeing the introduction of the often contentious video assistant refereeing system (VAR) in 2019, which he regularly came in for criticism from top-flight clubs as he struggled to deal with its associated challenges. The Telegraph also reported that several Premier League clubs were pushing for there to be a change at PGMOL following what they believed to be too many mistakes under Riley’s tenure.
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“I am proud of the contribution our match officials have made to the professional game and have enjoyed working with such a dedicated, professional and high-quality group at all of the levels that PGMOL manages,” Riley said in a statement. “As the Elite Referee Development Plan begins to take shape, now is the right time to plan for the future and allow the new leadership team to build on the strong foundations that we have in place. I look forward to working with the new team over the next season and giving them my support before I step down.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “On behalf of the Premier League, I would like to thank Mike for his valuable contribution and significant commitment to PGMOL over the last 13 years as well as his considerable service to the game as an elite referee for 20 years. During his time at PGMOL, he has worked hard to deliver and develop high-quality match officials across the professional game and led on the implementation of VAR into the Premier League three seasons ago.”
Plans for Riley’s successor are already well underway with the Telegraph reporting that Howard Webb is being lined up to become the Premier League’s chief refereeing officer from December. The 50-year-old’s profile and reputation within the game is said to be welcomed by clubs as an ideal fit for the high-pressure role.
Webb, who previously worked for PGMOL as a performance director between 2014 and 2015, is currently working in a similar role in the United States at Major League Soccer. His contract there expires in December, at which point he is likely to step into Riley’s former role permanently.
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