VAR has been in the Premier League for more than five years now, and in recent times, the spotlight on referees has been greater than ever, with decisions made and checked by officials being analysed in the media on a regular basis.
The most high-profile referees are known as Select Group One officials. The 20 current full-time professionals, who report to Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb, meet for physical and technical training sessions while also analysing match videos.
Select Group One referees are also regularly reviewed by five members on an independent panel, which mostly consists of former players and managers. But who are the 20 Select Group One referees? We’ve taken a detailed look.
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1 ByStephan GeorgiouOct 2, 2024 1 Stuart Attwell PL referee since: August 2008
Stuart Attwell, born in October 1982, has been a Premier League referee since 2008, although he was demoted to the Football League for more than two years in 2012.
Attwell was the first referee who announced a VAR decision inside an English stadium in 2025, and has previously officiated the Community Shield and EFL Cup final.
2 Peter Bankes PL referee since: August 2019
Peter Bankes began his refereeing career in the Football League back in 2014 and was promoted to the Premier League in 2019.
Born in May 1982, Bankes was promoted to a Select Group One official ahead of the 2019/20 season. Starting to make his name in the Premier League, he recently took control of the key clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
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ByRoss KilvingtonJan 7, 2025 3 Sam Barrott PL referee since: October 2023
Sam Barrott has had a relatively quick rise to the Premier League, having been officiating at non-league level in 2020.
After a few years in the Football League, Barrott was promoted to the Premier League on a full-time basis in 2024 and was also added to FIFA’s list of international referees in December.
4 Darren Bond PL referee since: January 2023
After his first experience as an assistant referee in the Premier League, Darren Bond made his Premier League refereeing debut in 2023. Born in 1982, Bond isn’t allowed to officiate Wigan Athletic due to his support for the Latics.
He has taken charge of 10 top-flight matches this season to date, while he was also in the middle for Manchester City’s recent slender FA Cup victory over Leyton Orient.
5 Thomas Bramall PL referee since: August 2022
Previously a maths teacher, Thomas Bramall swapped the classroom for the pitch on a full-time basis.
Born in 1990, Bramall began as a national list referee in 2018 and was promoted to a Select Group One official in 2022. He has also taken charge of two J1 League games in Japan.
6 John Brooks PL referee since: December 2021
An insurance broker before becoming a full-time referee, John Brooks was an assistant referee in the Premier League at the age of 21.
It wasn’t until 2021 that Brooks officiated his first Premier League, and he was added to FIFA’s list of international referees in 2023.
The Leicestershire-based ref has seen more big games come his way in recent seasons, including Chelsea’s trips to Liverpool and Manchester City this season.
7 Darren England PL referee since: January 2020
Darren England has been a Premier League referee since 2020, five years after he was appointed in the Football League.
Born in 1985, England was the official on VAR duty for Luis Diaz’s infamous disallowed goal for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur in September 2023 that was wrongly ruled offside.
He also took charge of a Champions League qualifier earlier this season.
8 Jarred Gillett PL referee since: September 2021
Australian Jarred Gillett swapped the A-League for the EFL in 2019, and two years later, was appointed as a Premier League referee.
He’s also a FIFA-listed official and is just the second person outside the UK to referee a Premier League fixture.
Despite his Australian roots, his allegiances to Liverpool mean that he is barred from officiating either of the Merseyside clubs.
9 Tony Harrington PL referee since: December 2021
Tony Harrington had been a Football League referee for nine years prior to his promotion to the Premier League in 2021.
Since then, Harrington has taken charge of more than 30 top-flight fixtures and didn’t show his first red card in the Premier League until February 2024.
Interestingly, the three reds he has issued since came in successive matches this season, with Jack Stephens, Andy Robertson and Bruno Fernandes the recipients.
10 Simon Hooper PL referee since: August 2015
Experienced Premier League referee Simon Hooper has been a regular top-flight official since 2018.
Born in 1982, Hooper’s first Premier League game was in 2015, and he has now officiated more than 100 fixtures, while also being chosen for two League One play-off finals.
One of the more memorable moments of his career was perhaps being screamed at by Erling Haaland when was accused of stopping a promising Manchester City attack too early.
