RateTheRef

2 things to say

1 just found myself a documentary called man in the middle on uefa TV that I will watch over the next few days. 4 episodes, released last year

2 apparently new list released for the new officials  all I know so far is Serdar Gözübüyük is now Elite. Anyone know where to find the rest?

New Elite referees (no demotions from this category):
François Letexier, France 1989
Daniel Siebert, Germany 1984
Davide Massa, Italy 1981
Serdar Gozubuyuk, Netherlands 1985
Srdan Jovanović, Serbia 1986
Sandro Schaerer, Switzerland 1988
José Maria Sanchez Martinez, Spain, 1983
Halil Umut Meler, Turkey 1986


ELITE

Kuĺbakoŭ, Oliver, Taylor, Bastien, Letexier, Turpin, Aytekin, Siebert, Stieler, Zwayer, Sidirópoulos, Grinfeld, Massa, Orsato, Gözübüyük, Makkelie, Marciniak, Soares Dias, Hațegan, Kovacs, Karasyov, Collum, Jovanović, Kružliak, Vinčič, del Cerro Grande, Gil Manzano, Mateu Lahoz, Sánchez Martínez, Schärer, Çakır, Meler


FIRST

Jorgji, Lechner, Schüttengruber, Weinberger, Ağayev, Lambrechts, Visser, Peljto, Kabakov, Bebek, Jović, Strukan, Kehlet, Kavanagh, Pawson, Tohver, Gestranius, Brisard, Buquet, Kruashvili, Osmers, Stegemann, Bognár, Vad, Reinshreiber, Di Bello, Guida, Mariani, Treimanis, Rumšas, Dabanović, Stavrev, Eskĺs, Frankowski, Raczkowski, Stefański, Veríssimo, Martins, Pinheiro, Feșnic, Petrescu, Ivanov, Beaton, Madden, Walsh, Glova, Jug, Obrenovič, de Burgos Bengoetxea, Hernández Hernández, Al-Hakim, Ekberg, Nyberg, Palabıyık, Aranovs'kyy, Boyko


SECOND

Hamiti, Xhaja, Teixeira, Ghaltakhchyan, Hovhannisyan, Nalbandyan, Altmann, Ciochirca, Gishamer, Jäger, Cabbarov, Məsiyev, Dzmitryjeŭ, Kourgheli, Šymusik, Boucaut, Laforge, Lardot, Van Driessche, Verboomen, Bilbija, Kaljanac, Chinkov, Davidov, Draganov, Popov, Stoyanov, Bel, Pajač, Zebec, Dimitríou, Neokléous, Sotiríou, Theoulí, Berka, Klíma, Machálek, Orel, Pechanec, Petřík, Burchardt, Kjćrsgaard, Kristoffersen, Krogh, Putros, Sundberg, Attwell, Bankes, Coote, England, Madley, Tierney, Frischer, Jaanovits, á Hřvdanum, Troleis, Al-Emara, Hämäläinen, Hyytiä, Munukka, Viljanen, Abed, Delajod, Millot, Pignard, Kikacheishvili, Kvirikashvili, Dankert, Dingert, Jablonski, Schlager, Barcelo, Diamandópoulos, Fotiás, Koumbarákis, Manoúchos, Papadópoulos, Papapétrou, Berke, Bogár, Farkas, Karakó, Árnason, Jónasson, Kristjánsson, Ţórarinsson, Frid, Fuxman, Leibovitz, Levi, Chiffi, Fabbri, Irrati, Maresca, Pairetto, Kýchın, Qarabaev, Saxı, Sarıev, Kastrati, Kasumi, Nuza, Anufrijevs, Spasjonņikovs, Lukjančukas, Valikonis, Durieux, Kopriwa, Sabotic, Barbara, De Gabriele, Farrugia, Farrugia Cann, Banari, Muntean, Orlic, Bošković, Savović, Higler, Kamphuis, Kooij, Lindhout, van der Eijk, Jakimovski, Stojčevski, Davey, Marshall, McNabb, Robinson, Hagenes, Hansen, Kringstad, Moen, Saggi, Steen, Jakubik, Musiał, Sylwestrzak, Miguel Nogueira, Luís Godinho, António Nobre, Gustavo Correia, Vítor Ferreira, Doyle, Harvey, Hennessy, McLaughlin, Barbu, Bîrsan, Chivulete, Bezborodov, Kukulyak, Levnikov, Matyunin, Meshkov, Moskalyov, Zani, Clancy, Munro, Robertson, Lukić, Milanović, Minaković, Simović, Dohál, Kráľovič, Očenáš, Kajtazovič, Šmajc, Cuadra Fernández, Martínez Munuera, Munuera Montero, Soto Grado, Karlsson, Ladebäck, Pandzic, Sjöberg, Cibelli, Dudic, Fähndrich, San, Schnyder, Tschudi, Bitigen, Kardeşler, Küçük, Uğurlu, Balakin, Derevins'kyy, Kopiyevs'kyy, Romanov, Shurman, Griffith, Jenkins, Owen

Bearing in mind that some major European footballing countries seem to get quite a few referees on the Elite List I wonder what that says about England only having the two established ones of Oliver and Taylor ? Is it really that no-one else is even considered to be that good ? I suppose it has to be unless national politics plays a part. There again, who of our FIFA referees might be considered to have Elite List potential ? I had thought Kavanagh was ascending steadily but I get the impression he has stalled somewhat. Tierney or Pawson perhaps ?  Not enough 'star' quality in either I conclude.  Attwell ? I don't think so and I can't see any of the others, Coote, A Madley, Bankes etc making it to Elite?

So, who do you think our next Elite Class referees will be post Oliver ( who still has some years left at this level ) and Taylor (who has far fewer years left) ?

I think tierney and pawson are preferred in the var role, plus they’re into their 40s now so uefa probably dont see any benefit in promoting them. As for the next elite, i think things might be bleak for a while, as i dont see anyone after oliver and taylor thats currently on the Fifa list making it their, apart from maybe kavanagh, but even then his progress seems to have stalled somewhat. It could be someone like Brooks or Salisbury depending on the fifa list situation.

Quote from: Hertsref123 on Fri 17 Dec 2021 10:13

I think tierney and pawson are preferred in the var role, plus they’re into their 40s now so uefa probably dont see any benefit in promoting them. As for the next elite, i think things might be bleak for a while, as i dont see anyone after oliver and taylor thats currently on the Fifa list making it their, apart from maybe kavanagh, but even then his progress seems to have stalled somewhat. It could be someone like Brooks or Salisbury depending on the fifa list situation.

Brooks or Jones rather than Salisbury imho!

If reports are true that Darren England has been awarded a FIFA Badge and Rob Jones missed out then that doesn't look to be very brilliant for Jones' chances of getting to the very top.

Brooks is rather an unknown quantity. His rise has been very fast and he is clearly an "anointed one " but we have seen plenty of them crash and burn in the past.

In the SG2 Josh Smith is well regarded but whether he has real star quality is as yet unproven. If we are looking to L1 and L2 referees aged about or under 30 making a very good name for themselves then who is there. Samuel Barrott or Sam Purkiss ? I don't know their ages but they look young.

Pawson has developed into a steady safe pair of hands, more often than not but his age is against him in terms of any further progression. He's the André Marriner of the current crop, imo - reliable, steady ref, trusted and respected but not spectacular.  I'd not write Kavanagh off as Taylor's successor as the next elite ref when the time comes. He had a spell not so long ago where he called a few decisions wrong in successive games and I think it knocked his confidence somewhat. I felt he seemed to expect to make a bad call and ended up doing just that, which is a shame because he's a decent young ref. He's getting his confidence back now and the last 3/4 games he has been excellent. So much so he's not even rated a mention on here & truth be told, the second he makes even a tiny error there are a few on here very quick to point it out... He has turned it around and now seems to be going out there believing he can get the decisions right & is doing just that.  He's one of the 2 first group refs going to the UEFA spring training camp, along with Pawson, which to me suggests UEFA have the belief in him. I feel his progression is back on track & he is only going to keep getting better from here on in & I'm loving seeing it. As to who will replace Oliver - we have 10 if not 15 years to worry about that one!

I guess there is a retirement age for FIFA because we have senior SG1 referees who are ex FIFA, Atkinson, Dean, Marriner. I seem to think it might be 45 years old in which case Taylor reaches it in 2023 and Oliver in 2030

Retirement age for FIFA was scrapped years ago, December 2014, implemented from season 2015/16 to be precise! As long as a referee continues to perform to the expected standard, gets the required merit marks, passes their fitness test, and over the age of 45 passes additional medical tests and their home Federation continue to support them then they can carry on after age 45. They get a +1 year at a time. So far those who have gone on beyond age 45 have only done so for 1-2 seasons & then chosen to retire. Kuipers, Rizzoli for example.

IIRC correctly Dean came off before the age limit was abolished. Marriner and Atkinson I think both got extensions. As far as I know most still retire at 45 from the FIFA list it is mainly the more high profile elites and first group referees who stay on.