In the world of professional refereeing, there are only a few who can claim to have officiated a World Cup Final. Indeed, it’s a select group of twenty men which includes three Englishman: William Ling, who refereed in 1954; Jack Taylor, who took charge in 1974; and our latest interviewee, Howard Webb, who officiated over the 2010 final. Whilst the final itself was one of his personal highlights, Webb’s career is full of memorable moments, including nearly 300 Premier League games, the 2009 FA Cup Final and the 2010 Champions League Final, making him the only referee to manage that final and the World Cup final in the same year.
Now in charge of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which oversees all referees in the US and Canada, Howard is enjoying life in New York. We chatted with him recently about his career, which Scottish referee was his mentor, his thoughts on changing penalty kicks, and that Nigel De Jong challenge during the World Cup Final. Enjoy!
Our thanks to Howard for taking the time to talk with us. I hope you found it as interesting as we did.
Throughout May, Howard and his fellow PRO officials will once again be supporting Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) drive to increase awareness of the fight against Huntington’s Disease. Your support could make a difference during #HuntingtonsDisease awareness month. Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #LetsTalkAboutHD.
Additionally Howard’s book – Howard Webb: The Man in the Middle is available now online and at all good bookstores. You can also follow Howard on Twitter.
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