Anthony Taylor (referee)
_48.jpg) Taylor in 2025 | |||
| Born |
20 October 1978[1] Wythenshawe, Manchester, England | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2002–2004 | Northern Premier League | Referee | |
| 2004–2006 | Football Conference | Referee | |
| 2006–2010 | The Football League | Referee | |
| 2010–2026 | Premier League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2013–2026 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Anthony Taylor (born 20 October 1978) is an English former professional football referee. In 2010, he was promoted to the list of Select Group Referees who officiate primarily in the Premier League, and in 2013 became a listed referee for FIFA allowing him to referee European and international matches. In 2015, he officiated the Football League Cup final at Wembley Stadium when Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–0. Taylor returned to Wembley later that year to officiate the Community Shield as Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0. He refereed the 2017 and 2020 FA Cup finals, both between Chelsea and Arsenal; Arsenal won on both occasions 2–1. Upon the selection, he became the first man to referee a second FA Cup final since Arthur Kingscott in 1901.[2]
Early life
Taylor was a student at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.[3]
Career
Early career
Taylor started refereeing in the Northern Premier League in 2002,[4] progressing to officiate in the Conference North in 2004.[5] He was appointed to the Football League referees' list at the start of the 2006–07 season and his first appointment was a 0–0 draw between Wrexham and Peterborough United in a League Two match in August 2006.[6] In November 2006, he refereed an England under-19s international friendly match against Switzerland under-19s at Gresty Road, the home of Crewe Alexandra; England won 3–2.[7]
Professional career
Taylor's first Premier League appointment was a February 2010 encounter between Fulham and Portsmouth, which Fulham won 1–0. He refereed one more game in the top-flight during that season before being promoted to the League's list of Select Group of Referees for 2010–11. In September 2010 he took charge of his fourth Premier League match, contested by Blackburn Rovers and Fulham. The match ended 1–1.[8]
Taylor sent off three players in his first game of the 2011–12 season. Middlesbrough won 1–0 at Leeds United in a fixture which saw Jonny Howson and Max Gradel of Leeds and Boro's Tony McMahon dismissed, all for second bookable offences.[9] Taylor refereed a total of 34 matches that season and dismissed eight players in total, including the three at Leeds. Taylor became a FIFA listed referee on 1 January 2013, making him eligible to officiate UEFA European and FIFA international competitive games. In May 2013 he was fourth official to Andre Marriner for the FA Cup Final. On the opening day of the 2013–14 season Taylor refereed Aston Villa's 3–1 victory away at Arsenal. He awarded Villa two penalties and dismissed Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny for two bookable offences. Arsène Wenger described Taylor's officiating of the match as "stubborn",[10] while Villa manager Paul Lambert said that he thought the official "had a good game".[11]
On 1 March 2015, Taylor was the referee for the Football League Cup final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.[12] Taylor refereed both the 2015 FA Community Shield and the 2015 Football League Cup final.[13][14] On 26 April 2017, Taylor was chosen to be the main referee for the 2017 FA Cup final.[15] On 26 May 2018 he was chosen to officiate the 2018 EFL Championship play-off final. On 16 September 2020, Taylor was chosen to be the main referee for the 2020 UEFA Super Cup.[16]
On 12 June 2021, Taylor officiated a UEFA Euro 2020 group stage match between Finland and Denmark. In the 43rd minute, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch and required emergency treatment on the pitch before being transferred to a local hospital and stabilised. Taylor was praised for his calm but quick reaction to the situation, signalling for medical attention within seconds.[17] The match was resumed later in the day once it became clear Eriksen's condition had improved. Taylor's earlier training in the prison service at HMP Manchester was cited as helpful for the situation by mentor Chris Foy.[18][19] In October 2021, Taylor was chosen to referee the 2021 UEFA Nations League Final between Spain and France.[20]
In a May 2022 FIFA pronouncement, Taylor was listed as one of six English officials to oversee matches at that November and December's World Cup. The list also included referee Michael Oliver and four compatriot assistant referees—Simon Bennett, Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt, and Adam Nunn.[21] In May 2023, UEFA announced Taylor as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Europa League final, with Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn as assistants, and Michael Oliver as fourth official.[22] In the final between Roma and Sevilla on 31 May, Taylor pulled out 14 yellow cards, a record for a Europa League game, include one against AS Roma manager José Mourinho.[23] In the 75th minute, Taylor initially awarded a penalty to Sevilla for a foul on Lucas Ocampos, but overturned his decision after a VAR review. He also notably denied AS Roma an 81st-minute penalty for a handball against Sevilla's Fernando, determined after using VAR that the player's arm was naturally positioned by his side.[24] After the match, Mourinho criticized Taylor in a news conference, later confronted him in the car park and swearing in both English and Italian.[25] On 1 June, Taylor and his family were shouted at by Roma fans in Budapest Airport as the airport security escorted them away.[26][27][28]
In July 2024, Taylor was chosen to referee a knockout stage match between Spain and Germany.[29] In the match, he denied Germany a penalty after defender Marc Cucurella blocked Jamal Musiala's shot with his outstretched arm. This action was contested by Germany's players and the manager Julian Nagelsmann.[30][31][32] UEFA later admitted Taylor's error in an official report, stating "the defender stops the shot on goal with his arm, which is not very close to the body, making itself bigger, so a penalty kick should have been awarded”.[31] On 14 September, Taylor pulled out 14 yellow cards in the match between Chelsea and Bournemouth, a record-breaking number of cards in a single Premier League match.[33][34] He was then demoted to fourth official by the Premier League.[35]
He was selected back to the World Cup in 2026, become the main referee for the group stage match between Senegal and Iraq.[36] He also was the main referee for the round of 16 knockout match between Portugal and Spain.[37] He announced his retirement from elite refereeing on 21 July 2026.[38][39]
Post-retirement
In August 2026, Taylor was appointed director of elite refereeing at the Turkish Football Federation. In the role, he was tasked with leading the strategic and technical development of elite refereeing in Turkey, supporting the federation's efforts to strengthen its refereeing programme in line with UEFA and FIFA standards.[40]
Statistics
| Season | Games | Total  | per game | Total  | per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | 26 | 78 | 3.00 | 5 | 0.19 |
| 2007–08 | 36 | 105 | 2.92 | 10 | 0.28 |
| 2008–09 | 38 | 91 | 2.39 | 4 | 0.11 |
| 2009–10 | 36 | 92 | 2.56 | 8 | 0.22 |
| 2010–11 | 32 | 118 | 3.69 | 12 | 0.36 |
| 2011–12 | 34 | 106 | 3.12 | 8 | 0.24 |
| 2012–13 | 35 | 89 | 2.54 | 6 | 0.17 |
| 2013–14 | 31 | 102 | 3.29 | 3 | 0.10 |
| 2014–15 | 39 | 160 | 4.10 | 9 | 0.23 |
| 2015–16 | 44 | 147 | 3.34 | 6 | 0.14 |
| 2016–17 | 41 | 161 | 3.93 | 5 | 0.12 |
| 2017–18 | 40 | 147 | 3.68 | 6 | 0.15 |
| 2018–19 | 50 | 175 | 3.50 | 10 | 0.20 |
| 2019–20 | 48 | 202 | 4.21 | 9 | 0.19 |
| 2020–21 | 42 | 136 | 3.23 | 4 | 0.10 |
| 2021–22 | 44 | 165 | 3.75 | 7 | 0.16 |
| 2022–23 | 43 | 166 | 3.86 | 6 | 0.14 |
| 2023–24 | 49 | 214 | 4.37 | 9 | 0.18 |
| 2024–25 | 49 | 165 | 3.37 | 12 | 0.24 |
| 2025–26 | 49 | 192 | 3.92 | 5 | 0.1 |
Statistics for all competitions. No records are available prior to 2006–07.[41]
See also
References
- ↑ "Anthony Taylor". Football-Lineups. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ↑ "FA Cup Final: Anthony Taylor to referee second final". BBC Sport. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ↑ "Annual Dinner 2017" (PDF). OLD ALTRINCHAMIANS’ Newsletter 2016 - 2017. p. 6. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ↑ Northern Premier League, 2002: SoccerFactsUK website.
- ↑ Conference North Archived 18 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 2004: SoccerFactsUK website.
- ↑ Wrexham v. Peterborough[link removed], first League match: soccerbase.com website.
- ↑ England v. Switzerland, Under-19 friendly: TheFA.com official website.
- ↑ BBC Sport - Football, 2010: Bosses Allardyce and Hughes round on ref Anthony Taylor report.
- ↑ Hart, Simon (14 August 2011). "Dark clouds gathering as nine-man Leeds fall to Emnes winner". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ "'Stubborn' referee infuriates Arsenal boss Wenger | talkSPORT". Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ BBC Sport - Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa
- ↑ "Anthony Taylor Referee Profile | Premier League". Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ Bradbury, Jamie (7 July 2015). "Anthony Taylor appointed FA Community Shield referee". thefa.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ↑ "Anthony Taylor to referee Capital One Cup Final". capitalonecup.co.uk. The Football League. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ↑ "Arsenal fans hand Chelsea the FA Cup after referee for the final is named". Metro. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ↑ "Hear from referee Anthony Taylor, following his appointment for UEFA Super Cup game". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ↑ "'We managed to get Christian back' – the heroes of Copenhagen". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ↑ Scheerhout, John (15 June 2021). "The ref who helped save Christian Eriksen used his experience as a prison guard". Manchester Evening News.
- ↑ "Finland win first game at major finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ↑ "English Ref Anthony Taylor and His Team to Take Charge of Spain V France in Milan".
- ↑ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022" (PDF).
- ↑ "Referee teams appointed for 2023 UEFA club competition finals".
- ↑ "Anthony Taylor: Roma fans harass referee and family after Europa League final defeat". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 13 January 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Performance of referee Anthony Taylor in Europa League final not being questioned by UEFA - sources". www.espn.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Jose Mourinho confronts referee Anthony Taylor in car park after Europa League final defeat". www.espn.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Jose Mourinho: Roma boss banned for four matches for confronting English referee Anthony Taylor after the Europa League final". BBC Sport. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Roma fans condemned for harassing Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor at airport". www.espn.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Anthony Taylor: Europa League final English referee confronted at airport by Roma fans". Sky News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Spain vs Germany; Match info".
- ↑ "Euro 2024 review says Germany deserved penalty against Spain". www.espn.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- 1 2 "UEFA reassessment of Spain's handball doesn't help Germany". dw.com. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "'I've held back so far' - Toni Kroos blasts referee Anthony Taylor for failing to give penalty for Marc Cucurella handball as Germany crashed out of Euro 2024 against Spain | Goal.com English Saudi Arabia". www.goal.com. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Nkunku snatches late win for Chelsea against Bournemouth". www.premierleague.com. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea: Record-breaking Premier League game". BBC Sport. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ read, RomaPress·1 min (17 September 2024). "Anthony Taylor suspended from Premier League refereeing after 14 yellow cards in one game". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ Mirza, Faizan (26 June 2026). "FIFA Appoints Anthony Taylor as Referee for Senegal vs. Iraq World Cup Match". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ Allen, William (6 July 2026). "Who is Anthony Taylor, the referee for Spain vs Portugal in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup?". AS USA. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Anthony Taylor retires from elite refereeing". Premier League. 21 July 2026.
- ↑ Johnson, Dale (21 July 2026). "'Pressure is intense and scrutiny constant' - referee Taylor retires". BBC. BBC. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "World Cup referee Anthony Taylor lands new role in Turkey". ESPN. 4 August 2026.
- ↑ Anthony Taylor | Latest Football Betting Odds | Soccer Base
External links
- Anthony Taylor refereeing career statistics at Soccerbase
- Anthony Taylor at RefWorld.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 21 May 2009)
- Anthony Taylor referee profile at WorldFootball.net
- Anthony Taylor referee profile at Soccerway (archived)
