Howard Webb to take over as the Premier League's chief refereeing officer

Howard Webb is set to take over as the chief refereeing officer of the Premier League after Mike Riley stepped down from the position.

According to The Telegraph, with Riley leaving the role Webb will return from his role assisting the MLS to take over. Although for now, the Premier League isn’t announcing Webb’s appointment.

This season has seen a big shake-up of refereeing in the English top-flight, with the notable retirements of Mike Dean, Kevin Friend, Jon Moss, and Martin Atkinson.

The Premier League is also creating a new incentive to improve the league’s officiating with its ‘Elite Referee Development Plan’ that will also aim to increase representation among referees. 

Webb was considered one of the best referees in England during his career until his retirement in 2014. Since then he has taken up roles at PGMOL, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and the MLS, where he has been since 2017.