No British referee at the World Cup for the first time in 80 years

FIFA recently confirmed the list of officials that will fly off to Russia this summer. Of the 36 referees and 63 assistant referees named, not a single one comes from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The Premier League, often hailed as the best league in the world, will therefore have no representative at the World Cup.

Mark Clattenburg, who famously refereed the finals of the Olympics in 2012, the Champions League in 2016 and the Euros in the same year, was originally on the shortlist but forfeited his place when he opted for a post in Saudi Arabia. 

The Football Association (FA) has tried pleading with FIFA, but their request to replace Clattenburg was snubbed.

The last time there was no British official at the prestigious tournament was before the Second World War in 1938. 

Thus far, FIFA have offered no justification for their decision to curb the Brits. Recently, both Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola have expressed their doubts about the standard of refereeing in the Premier League, with the former stating they "don't work enough." 

With the announcement that VAR will be in place at the tournament, the chance remains for a British referee to occupy an officiating post behind the scenes with the new technology. 

 

March 29, 2018