Moss departed having ‘fallen out with his fellow referees’

Former referee Jon Moss left as the director of top Premier League officials after a fall out with some of the leading English referees, Telegraph Sport understands.

A group of leading officials found themselves at odds with Moss, 53, it has been claimed, and they made their feelings plain to Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, the body run by Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer. PGMOL, which oversees officials for the Premier

League, Football League and Football Association, announced last week that Moss was stepping down with immediate effect from his role.

Moss is understood to have clashed with officials in PGMOL’S Select Group One, the top referees. It was Moss who was responsible for critiquing performances and reviewing decisions.

PGMOL said in a statement that Moss was leaving “to pursue other opportunities”. PGMOL declined to comment on allegations of a clash between Moss and some of the Select Group One referees. Moss also declined to comment. PGMOL claimed that the agreement for Moss to depart was “mutual”.

Moss was appointed as the Select Group One manager by Webb’s predecessor, Mike Riley, in 2022 upon his retirement from refereeing. He then became director of the same group, encompassing responsibility for the Championship as well.

The role meant that Moss and Martin Atkinson, the Select Group One coach, had major roles in the organisation. Others had an input into match appointments – crucial to referees and assistants, who earn match fees from games to supplement their basic salaries.

PGMOL said that Webb will now take over Moss’s role until the end of the season. In a statement, PGMOL said that Moss had “played a key role in the implementation of the elite referee development plan.”

It added: “PGMOL would like to thank Jon for his considerable efforts and service during his time at the organisation and wish him all the best for the future.”