Two Premier League referees ‘set to retire this season’ ahead of major PGMOL shakeup

Premier League referees Martin Atkinson and Jonathan Moss will both retire and take on new roles at the end of the season ahead of a major restructuring at PGMOL

Martin Atkinson and Jonathan Moss will retire from refereeing at the end of the season before taking on new responsibilities with PGMOL.

That First League The pair have been mainstays in recent years, but both will see their time in their current roles come to an end. Mike Dean, the longest-serving of all current umpires, has also decided to retire, but he will not remain with PGMOL. In his next role, Moss is the new manager of the ‘Select Group One’ referees who oversee Premier League matches. Meanwhile, Atkinson will reportedly be the group’s manager The Telegraph.

Dean, who has become something of a celebrity among referees, is likely to be offered television roles. PGMOL boss Mike Riley has to deal with a major shift when it comes to the nation’s refereeing resources. Many longtime officials are turning 50, and now the call is on to see who the next up-and-coming referees are.

Andre Marriner, Kevin Friend and Graham Scott, who are also in the select group mentored by Moss, are all in their 50s. Atkinson has regularly officiated in big games, this season beating Liverpool’s most recent 4-0 to convince Manchester United as well as Arsenal’s visit to Old Trafford. Atkinson was also the official for several high-profile Champions League clashes.

Moss is another man trusted by referee boss Riley. He was the man who refereed the recent London derby in between Chelsea and arsenal. The Premier League is planning major changes to referee development in the way they have quickly risen to the elite with the advent of the ‘Elite Referee Development Scheme’ which will hopefully speed up the process. Currently, the FA is recommending referees for promotion to the Football League and ultimately the Premier League.

Riley and his refs went under Fire this tenure with the former official to apologize everton and Frank Lampard earlier this season. The introduction of VAR in the 2019/20 season initially caused a stir, and while adoption is growing, wrong decisions are still being made despite the utility of video replays.

Paul Tierney did not miss a penalty for a Rodri handball in Manchester City’s win at Everton earlier this season. VAR official Chris Kavanagh refused to overturn the decision or suggest Tierney consult the pitchside monitor. City went on to win 1-0 and the Toffees later received an apology.

Former referee Keith Hackett has blamed Riley for the decline in refereeing standards. “Make no mistake, I’ve been saying it for months, the referees lack leadership and drive,” he told West Brom News.

“Riley is the guy who got rid of a core group of referee coaches who were very skilled. He’s the guy who got rid of appraisers at football games and replaced them with other things that were inappropriate. Since he took over, everyone is saying that the standard of refereeing has dropped. It’s up to him.”