Howard Webb

Howard Melton Webb, MBE, (born 14 July 1971) is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005. Webb is counted amongst the top referees of all time by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), and has refereed a number of notable matches including the FA Cup Final, the FA Community Shield and the final of the Football League Cup, as well as the final of both the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup, being the first person to referee both matches in the same year. Webb has drawn praise for his authoritative and respected approach to refereeing from football bodies, pundits, colleagues, players, and managers. Webb was born to Sylvia and Billy Webb and grew up in Rotherham, Yorkshire. His father was also a referee for 35 years. Webb first took up refereeing in local Rotherham leagues in 1989. In 1993, he progressed to the Northern Counties East League as an assistant...