12 recently-retired stars fast-tracked to become Premier League referees after recent controversies

Howard Webb has taken initiative to appoint retired footballers as referees

It has been claimed that 12 recently-retired stars fast-tracked to become Premier League referees after recent controversies by the PGMOL.

After a slew of controversial rulings, refereeing at all stages of the game—but particularly in the Premier League—has come under severe criticism.

PGMOL president Howard Webb, who took over as the organization’s first chief refereeing administrator in August 2022, has made an effort to ease apprehensions by stepping up his visibility and fostering more engagement with clubs and the general public through his Match Officials: Mic’d Up programme.

However, a persistent criticism of officials is their alleged lack of compassion, which leads many to believe that they make decisions based more on the text of the law than on their perception of the circumstances of the match.

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The Sun claims that all of this may be soon to shift thanks to a thrilling new class of recruits who will be expedited through an officiating course.

According to the story, Webb believes the recently retired NFL players will contribute to a rise in public trust in law enforcement.

And that the 2010 World Cup final referee and PGMOL are currently working on the system, which only materialised when “about 12 players showed interest in the idea.”

To put things in perspective, Webb worked his way up the ranks for 12 years, beginning when he was still employed by the South Yorkshire Police and ending in 2003 as a Premier League referee.

How long it might require to finish the fast-track plan is unknown.

The innovative scheme coincides with Mail Sport’s ‘Stop Abusing Referees’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the violent conduct that referees encounter.

Throughout the season, controversial VAR calls have dominated discussions, and officials have endured unrelenting vitriol.

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