Veteran referee Oliver has been under fire recently after controversially sending off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly during the match against Wolves on Saturday.
In light of the incident, an interview with the 39-year-old reemerged, revealing that he is banned from officiating several Premier League matches due to his allegiance to Newcastle United. ..Continue Reading
Oliver is not alone in being kept away from specific games, as the full list of officials restricted from certain matches has been released.
To eliminate bias, referees in the EFL generally do not officiate matches involving teams they support.
Among the top referees in the English top flight, only one supports a Premier League team: Jarred Gillett.
Australian-born Gillett has been a regular Premier League referee since 2021 but has never officiated a match involving his boyhood club Liverpool.
The 38-year-old once served as a fourth official in a Liverpool Legends game back in 2019 but does not officiate formal matches involving the Merseyside team.
Paul Tierney, although suspended following a clash with Jurgen Klopp, does not support any team directly rivaling Liverpool and instead cheers for Wigan Athletic.
Tierney has been a Premier League referee since 2014, meaning he has never had to worry about officiating his club, as Wigan has been outside the top flight for the past 11 years.
Another Premier League referee often facing fans’ wrath both online and in stadiums is Anthony Taylor.
Despite being born in Manchester, Taylor does not support United or City. Instead, he follows non-league side Altrincham, confirmed by club president Grahame Rowley.
Current Premier League referee Andrew Madley, alongside his brother Bobby, who officiated in the Premier League between 2013 and 2018, is a lifelong fan of local club Huddersfield Town.
What teams do other Premier League referees support?
Stuart Atwell – Luton Town
Simon Hooper – Swindon Town
Darren England – Barnsley
Chris Kavanagh – Droylsden
Craig Pawson – Sheffield United
Tony Harrington – Hartlepool
Peter Bankes – Unknown but does not referee Liverpool or Everton games
Darren Bond – Wigan
