Webb wants ex-pros as refs

THE Premier League’s new refereeing chief Howard Webb wants former players to become professional referees. Webb, the newly appointed head refereeing officer at PGMOL, is keen to grow the pool of potential talent for Premier League officials. Current top-flight referees Simon Hooper and Darren England have experience as players during academy days at Swindon and Barnsley respectively. The 2022 World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak, who was widely praised for his performance in Qatar, was mentored by Webb and also had experience as a semi-pro player. Webb said yesterday: ‘It is a great way to stay involved in the game and we need to look at how we are going to entice people into refereeing. ‘We have always struggled to get ex-players involved. I am sure someone out there will want to be a trailblazer, somebody who has played in the Football League. We have had one or two but not really anybody (high-profile). ‘I don’t expect players who have played at the very highest level, and have other opportunities, to come into it. ‘But somebody who has had a decent career and has a good knowledge of the game — maybe in their late 20s, suffering with injury or whatever it might be — I think there is an opportunity for someone to really blaze a trail. And we would welcome them.’ Webb is keen to improve transparency, and wants the PGMOL to have a representative on live football on English television. Refereeing representatives are set to appear on shows such as Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.