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Anthony Taylor (referee)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Taylor is an English
football referee from Wythenshawe
, Manchester
who, since 2010, is on the list of Select Group Referees
who officiate in the Premier League.
in 2002, progressing to officiate in the Conference North
in 2004. He was appointed to the Football League
list at the start of the 2006-07
season and his first appointment was the 0–0 draw between Wrexham and Peterborough United
in a League 2
encounter on 12 August 2006.
On 14 November 2006 he refereed an England Under-19s
international friendly match
against Switzerland Under-19s at Gresty Road
, the home of Crewe Alexandra
; England won 3–2.
Taylor's first experience of heavy public criticism came after a Championship
match between Hull City
and Charlton Athletic
on 2 October 2007, during which there were a number of disputed decisions, including a disallowed goal and two red cards both of which were disputed by the team managers.
Taylor also received criticism after a League 1
fixture between Nottingham Forest
and Huddersfield Town
on 1 January 2008 in which he awarded a debatable 35th-minute penalty kick
to the away side, simultaneously sending off Forest's Kelvin Wilson
. Nottingham Forest's appeal to retrospectively rescind the red card was turned down by the FA. Another controversial red card was issued by Taylor to Swansea City
's Albert Serrán
in the 17th minute of a match on 28 December 2009 against Crystal Palace
, a decision described by Swansea manager Paulo Sousa
as "ridiculous". On this occasion the red card was successfully appealed by Swansea City and the customary three-match ban overturned.
After a live televised game between relegation rivals Sheffield United
and Crystal Palace
on 20 November 2010, Taylor and his assistants were censured for a number of controversial decisions. Taylor awarded Palace an 18th-minute penalty when Jean Calvé
was adjudged to have pushed Neil Danns
, although the contact appeared minimal, and later awarded a second penalty, this time to United, for an apparent foul by Nathaniel Clyne
on Ched Evans
, although Clyne appeared to play the ball. Palace midfielder Owen Garvan
was given a second yellow card after arguing vociferously with Taylor about the penalty award. In the second half, Palace had regained the lead until the 85th minute when United's Evans scored an equaliser despite being offside. Minutes later, Taylor awarded United a second penalty, the third of the match, although this one appeared justifiable; the penalty was converted to give Palace a 3-2 lead having been 2-1 down with five minutes remaining. Deep into injury time, he issued the second red card of the match, this time to United's Daniel Bogdanović
for serious foul play.
and Portsmouth
, with Fulham winning 1-0. He refereed one more game in the top flight during the 2009-10 season before being promoted to the league's Select Group of Referees
at the start of the 2010-11 season. On 18 September 2010 he took charge of his fourth Premier League match, contested by Blackburn Rovers
and Fulham. The match ended 1-1, but Taylor was criticised by both managers for apparently failing to see a handball outside of the penalty area by Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer
and later awarding Blackburn the opening goal despite an apparent foul on Schwarzer.
In March 2011, Taylor and his assistants came under scrutiny from Arsenal
manager Arsène Wenger
after his team was held to a 0-0 home draw by Sunderland
. The officials elected not to award the Gunners' Andrei Arshavin a late penalty after an apparent push by Sunderland captain Titus Bramble
. Wenger said afterwards that he was "too disgusted" to talk about the decision.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football referee from Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe is a district in the south of the city of Manchester, England.Formerly part of the administrative county of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s to resolve the problem of its inner...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
who, since 2010, is on the list of Select Group Referees
Select Group Referees
The Select Group is a panel of professional football referees appointed by the Professional Game Match Officials Board to officiate matches in the Premier League, as well as the Football League, FA Cup and Football League Cup...
who officiate in the Premier League.
Refereeing career
Taylor started refereeing in the Northern Premier LeagueNorthern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
in 2002, progressing to officiate in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
in 2004. He was appointed to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
list at the start of the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season and his first appointment was the 0–0 draw between Wrexham and Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
in a League 2
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
encounter on 12 August 2006.
On 14 November 2006 he refereed an England Under-19s
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
international friendly match
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Switzerland Under-19s at Gresty Road
Alexandra Stadium
The Alexandra Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Crewe, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crewe Alexandra...
, the home of Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
; England won 3–2.
Taylor's first experience of heavy public criticism came after a Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
match between Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
and Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 2 October 2007, during which there were a number of disputed decisions, including a disallowed goal and two red cards both of which were disputed by the team managers.
Taylor also received criticism after a League 1
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
fixture between Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
on 1 January 2008 in which he awarded a debatable 35th-minute penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
to the away side, simultaneously sending off Forest's Kelvin Wilson
Kelvin Wilson
Kelvin James Wilson is an English footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Scottish Premier League side Celtic....
. Nottingham Forest's appeal to retrospectively rescind the red card was turned down by the FA. Another controversial red card was issued by Taylor to Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
's Albert Serrán
Albert Serrán
Albert Serrán Polo is a Spanish footballer who plays for AEK Larnaca F.C. in Cyprus, as a defender.-Football career:...
in the 17th minute of a match on 28 December 2009 against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, a decision described by Swansea manager Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa
Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...
as "ridiculous". On this occasion the red card was successfully appealed by Swansea City and the customary three-match ban overturned.
After a live televised game between relegation rivals Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on 20 November 2010, Taylor and his assistants were censured for a number of controversial decisions. Taylor awarded Palace an 18th-minute penalty when Jean Calvé
Jean Calvé
Jean Calvé is a French football defender and former French Junior International, currently playing for AS Nancy-Lorraine.-Sheffield United:...
was adjudged to have pushed Neil Danns
Neil Danns
Neil Alexander Danns is an English footballer currently playing as a midfielder for Leicester City in the Football League Championship.-Early career:...
, although the contact appeared minimal, and later awarded a second penalty, this time to United, for an apparent foul by Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Clyne is an English footballer who plays for Crystal Palace as a defender. He attended Bishop Thomas Grant School located in Streatham.-Career:...
on Ched Evans
Ched Evans
Chedwyn Michael "Ched" Evans is a Wales international footballer currently playing as a striker for Sheffield United.Born in St Asaph, Denbighshire Evans was an inexperienced youth striker with Manchester City, when he arrived at Norwich City on loan in 2007...
, although Clyne appeared to play the ball. Palace midfielder Owen Garvan
Owen Garvan
Owen Garvan is an Irish footballer who currently plays for Crystal Palace and the Republic of Ireland U21s. He previously played for the Irish schoolboy team Home Farm, before moving to England to join Ipswich Town...
was given a second yellow card after arguing vociferously with Taylor about the penalty award. In the second half, Palace had regained the lead until the 85th minute when United's Evans scored an equaliser despite being offside. Minutes later, Taylor awarded United a second penalty, the third of the match, although this one appeared justifiable; the penalty was converted to give Palace a 3-2 lead having been 2-1 down with five minutes remaining. Deep into injury time, he issued the second red card of the match, this time to United's Daniel Bogdanović
Daniel Bogdanovic
Danijel Bogdanović , more commonly spelled Daniel Bogdanović, is a Maltese professional footballer of Serb descent who plays as a striker for Blackpool.- Playing career :...
for serious foul play.
Premier League
Taylor's first Premier League appointment was the 3 February 2010 encounter between FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, with Fulham winning 1-0. He refereed one more game in the top flight during the 2009-10 season before being promoted to the league's Select Group of Referees
Select Group Referees
The Select Group is a panel of professional football referees appointed by the Professional Game Match Officials Board to officiate matches in the Premier League, as well as the Football League, FA Cup and Football League Cup...
at the start of the 2010-11 season. On 18 September 2010 he took charge of his fourth Premier League match, contested by Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
and Fulham. The match ended 1-1, but Taylor was criticised by both managers for apparently failing to see a handball outside of the penalty area by Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
and later awarding Blackburn the opening goal despite an apparent foul on Schwarzer.
In March 2011, Taylor and his assistants came under scrutiny from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
after his team was held to a 0-0 home draw by Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. The officials elected not to award the Gunners' Andrei Arshavin a late penalty after an apparent push by Sunderland captain Titus Bramble
Titus Bramble
Titus Malachi Bramble is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a defender. He is currently suspended by Sunderland after bring arrested for possession of a class A drug and sexual assault.-Ipswich Town:...
. Wenger said afterwards that he was "too disgusted" to talk about the decision.
External links
- Anthony Taylor Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com
- Refworld profile of Anthony Taylor