Craig Pawson, Michael Oliver, Anthony Taylor

List of the Premier League Referees Who Are Banned from Certain Clubs

October 1, 2025 Oliver Obel

Being a Premier League referee is one of the most scrutinised jobs in football, and impartiality is key. However, due to personal allegiances or regional ties, some officials are not allowed to take charge of certain clubs. Here is the full breakdown of referees and the matches they cannot oversee.

Graham Scott – Swindon Town

Graham Scott grew up as a Swindon Town fan, which automatically rules him out of taking charge of their games. Despite being from Oxford, where other clubs could have been an option, his allegiance to Swindon sealed his exclusion.

Simon Hooper – Swindon Town

Simon Hooper was born in Swindon, making him ineligible to referee their matches. The Premier League avoids any potential conflict of interest by excluding him from games involving his birthplace club.

Darren England – Barnsley

Barnsley-born referee Darren England is not permitted to officiate matches involving his local club. His ties to the area are seen as too strong to maintain complete neutrality on the pitch.

Tony Harrington – Hartlepool United

Tony Harrington has a deep connection to Hartlepool United as a supporter of the club. For this reason, he is permanently banned from refereeing their fixtures, even if they are unlikely to appear in the Premier League soon.

Chris Kavanagh – Droylsden

Chris Kavanagh is a fan of non-league side Droylsden, which bars him from overseeing their games. Although this is not a club that competes at the highest level, the rules still apply strictly to preserve fairness.

Michael Salisbury – Liverpool

Michael Salisbury is one of several referees banned from officiating Liverpool games. This restriction is in place to avoid any suggestion of partiality when handling matches involving the Merseyside giants.

Darren Bond – Liverpool & Wigan Athletic

Darren Bond is excluded from Liverpool games but also from Wigan Athletic matches due to being a supporter of the club. His personal connection to Wigan makes it impossible for him to maintain the required impartial stance.

Rob Jones – Liverpool

Liverpool-born referee Rob Jones cannot take charge of matches involving his hometown club. His Merseyside connection is considered too close to allow him to be neutral in such high-profile fixtures.

Peter Bankes – Liverpool

Like Rob Jones, Peter Bankes is another Merseyside official banned from refereeing Liverpool. The decision ensures that local ties do not influence the outcome of matches.

Anthony Taylor – Altrincham

Anthony Taylor is based in Manchester but supports non-league side Altrincham. This means he is free to officiate matches involving Manchester United or Manchester City but cannot be assigned to Altrincham fixtures.

Stuart Attwell – Luton Town

Stuart Attwell is a known Luton Town supporter and therefore cannot referee their matches. While he has also faced accusations of bias regarding Nottingham Forest, the official restriction only applies to Luton.

Craig Pawson – Sheffield United & Sheffield Wednesday

Craig Pawson, from Sheffield, grew up supporting Sheffield United. As a result, he is banned from refereeing both United and their fierce rivals Wednesday, ensuring fairness in Steel City football.

Jarred Gillett – Liverpool & Everton

Australian referee Jarred Gillett grew up supporting Liverpool, ruling him out of officiating matches involving the Reds. The ban also extends to Everton due to the city’s intense rivalry, keeping him away from Merseyside derbies.

Michael Oliver – Newcastle United & Sunderland

Michael Oliver, one of the most high-profile referees in the Premier League, is a Newcastle United supporter. Because of his ties to the Magpies, he is also prohibited from taking charge of Sunderland games, keeping him away from both sides of the Tyne-Wear rivalry.