For the past few years Howard Webb has been a name that kept on buzzing around but for the wrong reasons as the English referee is a constant subject of criticism due to his decisions in the pitch which generally favor Manchester United and of those matches was back in 2012 when Chelsea played against Manchester United in a Premier League match that saw Chelsea having a comfortable 3-0 advantage but Howard Webb allowed Manchester United on taking 2 penalty set-pieces which had a huge impact on the game that ultimately concluded in a 3-3 draw.
He has made questionable decisions not only in the Premier League but also during FA Cup and Champions League matches but now the Englishman has decided to step down and take up a new job as he announced his retirement from refereeing in order to become the technical director of the Professional Game Match Officials Board. This is an organization that has the task of appointing officials for Premier League matches in England.
Throughout his career of being in charge of matches in the high tier league of England, Webb has officiated over 500 games as well as having the privilege of officiating matches in World Cups.
When Webb was asked about his decisions which usually favor Manchester United in big matches, he went on saying:
‘’There’s no element of truth in it. It’s not something that affected me or played on my mind at all. It wasn’t hurtful. Much of it is tongue-in-cheek, of course. What does play on my mind is when I’ve made a mistake, particularly an influential one that has affected the outcome of a game. I’d be dishonest if I said it didn’t bother me. I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career. Refereeing has given me so much and I think it’s important that match officials who have had the rewards remain in the game to pass on their knowledge,” Howard Webb said.
