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Mike Riley (referee)
Encyclopedia
Riley took charge of the 2004 Carling Cup final, between Bolton
and Middlesbrough
, in a game that saw all three goals scored within the first 25 minutes. He awarded a penalty to Middlesbrough
after just seven minutes, converted by Zenden, and booked five players during the course of the game.
Euro 2004 finals.
playoff final between West Ham United
and Preston North End
in 2005. West Ham
ran out 1 – 0 victors, seeing them promoted to the Premier League.
to take charge of the Hong Kong FA Cup 2006-07
final between South China and Happy Valley in 2007. South China won by 3–1, allowing them to achieve a treble in local competitions (First Division League
, Senior Shield
and FA Cup
). Riley gave three penalty kicks in the match, two for South China and one for Happy Valley.
in June 2009, replacing Keith Hackett
. This effectively ends his career in refereeing matches.
game in 2004, including a controversial penalty when Wayne Rooney
went down under a clumsy tackle from Sol Campbell
with replays showing a little contact had been made. The match, which ended Arsenal's long running unbeaten run at the time, led to immense criticism from Arsenal fans, including an article in the Daily Mail
paper using the headline "The Life of Riley".
The former Bolton Wanderers
manager, Sam Allardyce
, once criticised him after Riley officiated between Blackburn Rovers
and his own side on 14 January 2006. Allardyce denied a charge of improper conduct by the FA following his comments, but was found guilty at a personal hearing, fined £2000, severely censured and warned as to his future conduct. Following the match Allardyce had said: "The stats just don't stand up when he referees us. In my opinion, it is not good enough – he nearly caused a riot." Opposing manager Mark Hughes
had partly agreed, saying: "Both sides would argue the referee didn't have his best game but can't argue about the sending off."
He was involved in controversy on 30 March 2006 after the sending off of a Levski
player in a UEFA Cup 2005-06
quarter final tie, Levski
vs Schalke
. He showed a second yellow card to Cedric Bardon
, although it was disputed whether there was any contact between him and the opposition player. After the game, Levski's president Todor Batkov
was alleged to have commented on Riley's decision: "This British homosexual broke the game".
After Chelsea's
1–0 win at Reading
on 14 October 2006, Riley received more criticism, having allowed Petr Čech
and Carlo Cudicini
only to crawl off the field early in the game with what turned out to be a serious head injury.
In a lighter vein, during the first half of the home match against Newcastle on 30 April 2007 Kingsley Royal
, the Reading
club mascot, was sent from the field by the referee for standing too close to the pitch. It was reported that one of Riley's assistants mistook Kingsley for one of the players and almost flagged him for offside. A spokesman for the FA
said: "The referee reported to us that the mascot made a number of inflammatory gestures. I don't know what the gestures were and we are now making further enquiries and will look at video evidence." After reviewing video footage the FA confirmed that they would be taking no further action.
In a Euro 2008 qualifying match between Albania
and Holland on 12 September 2007, Riley denied Albania a goal in the last minutes of the first half when Dutch defender Mario Melchiot
headed a ball behind his own goalkeeper after an Albanian free kick. Riley ruled out the goal and gave a free kick to Holland. He was also said to have finished the game two minutes early, due to fireworks being thrown from the spectators' area. The criticism in the Albanian media and from the Albanian players was very harsh. The Albanian Football Federation decided to file an official complaint with UEFA.
In February 2009 in a match between Chelsea
and Liverpool
, Riley sent off Frank Lampard
for a tackle on Xabi Alonso
, with the score at 0–0. Liverpool went on to win the game 2–0. Replays however showed that Lampard had won the ball cleanly and he successfully appealed the red card. In the same game, Steven Gerrard
had earlier been involved in 2 potential red card incidents both of which were ignored by the referee. Lampard suggested that referees should take more time to consult with their assistants before making big decisions. In the same match, Riley failed to discipline José Bosingwa
for stamping on Yossi Benayoun
's back, a blatant foul for which Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari
admitted Bosingwa should have been sent off. Because the assistant referee did see this incident and it was included in the match report, the FA were unable to review it to apply retrospective punishment.
In March 2009 Hull manager Phil Brown accused Riley of a "disgraceful" performance and of being influenced by the Arsenal fans during Hull's FA Cup
defeat at the Emirates Stadium
. Phil Brown was charged by the FA and fined £2,500 for improper conduct.
In April 2009 Everton
played Manchester United in the FA Cup
semi final. Mike Riley was appointed the referee and Everton Manager David Moyes
questioned his appointment and called for an FA
investigation into whether the official had any allegiance towards Manchester United – a comment for which Moyes remains unpunished by th FA. However in the match itself, Manchester United were denied a possible penalty when Phil Jagielka
brought down Danny Welbeck
in the penalty area, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson
to suggest that Mike Riley had been influenced by Moyes' comments
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, in a game that saw all three goals scored within the first 25 minutes. He awarded a penalty to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
after just seven minutes, converted by Zenden, and booked five players during the course of the game.
Euro 2004
Riley also headed England's refereeing team alongside assistants Philip Sharp and Glenn Turner at the UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Euro 2004 finals.
Football League Championship playoff final 2005
Riley officiated the Football League ChampionshipFootball 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...
playoff final between West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
in 2005. West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
ran out 1 – 0 victors, seeing them promoted to the Premier League.
Hong Kong FA Cup final; 2007
Riley was invited to go to Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to take charge of the Hong Kong FA Cup 2006-07
Hong Kong FA Cup 2006-07
Hong Kong FA Cup 2006-07 is the 33rd staging of the Hong Kong FA Cup. Due to sponsorship deal with the Dongguan LANWA Group Co. Ltd, the event will be officially known as 2006/07 HKFA Lanwa International FA Cup....
final between South China and Happy Valley in 2007. South China won by 3–1, allowing them to achieve a treble in local competitions (First Division League
Hong Kong First Division League
Hong Kong First Division League is the top division football league in Hong Kong which was established in 1908, the oldest in Asia. It does not affiliate to any football leagues in the People's Republic of China.-Competition format:...
, Senior Shield
Hong Kong Senior Shield
Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield is the oldest football knockout inter-club competition in Asia. Usually only the teams in First Division would enter into the competition...
and FA Cup
Hong Kong FA Cup
Hong Kong FA Cup is a knockout cup competition in Hong Kong football, run by and named after The Hong Kong Football Association. The first edition of the competition was held in 1975, before then the cup was known as the Golden Jubilee Cup. The current season is the 33rd edition of the event...
). Riley gave three penalty kicks in the match, two for South China and one for Happy Valley.
Later career
Mike Riley was appointed manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMO)Professional Game Match Officials Board
The Professional Game Match Officials Board , and since made a Limited Liability Company , was formed when English association football referees turned professional in 2001, specifically to provide match officials for all games played in the Premier League in England...
in June 2009, replacing Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett
Keith Stuart Hackett is an English former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the Sheffield, Yorkshire, area in 1960...
. This effectively ends his career in refereeing matches.
Criticism
Riley was accused of major refereeing errors in an Arsenal–Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
game in 2004, including a controversial penalty when Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
went down under a clumsy tackle from Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
with replays showing a little contact had been made. The match, which ended Arsenal's long running unbeaten run at the time, led to immense criticism from Arsenal fans, including an article in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
paper using the headline "The Life of Riley".
The former Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
manager, Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
, once criticised him after Riley officiated between 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 his own side on 14 January 2006. Allardyce denied a charge of improper conduct by the FA following his comments, but was found guilty at a personal hearing, fined £2000, severely censured and warned as to his future conduct. Following the match Allardyce had said: "The stats just don't stand up when he referees us. In my opinion, it is not good enough – he nearly caused a riot." Opposing manager Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
had partly agreed, saying: "Both sides would argue the referee didn't have his best game but can't argue about the sending off."
He was involved in controversy on 30 March 2006 after the sending off of a Levski
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
player in a UEFA Cup 2005-06
UEFA Cup 2005-06
The UEFA Cup 2005–06 season was won by Sevilla FC, beating Middlesbrough FC in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The final took place at Philips Stadion, in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The match was...
quarter final tie, Levski
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
vs Schalke
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
. He showed a second yellow card to Cedric Bardon
Cédric Bardon
Cédric Bardon is a former French footballer who last played for Étoile Fréjus Saint-Raphaël. He was one of the best players in Bulgarian Levski Sofia.-In France:...
, although it was disputed whether there was any contact between him and the opposition player. After the game, Levski's president Todor Batkov
Todor Batkov
Todor Batkov is president of the Bulgarian football club Levski .Since June 1991, Batkov has been a managing partner of the “Batkov, Stoev, Botev and Co.” Lawyer’s House. He is a member of the College of Barristers, the International Lawyer’s League and the Supervising Council of MobilTel Ltd...
was alleged to have commented on Riley's decision: "This British homosexual broke the game".
After Chelsea's
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
1–0 win at Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on 14 October 2006, Riley received more criticism, having allowed Petr Čech
Petr Cech
Petr Čech is a Czech footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Czech Republic as a goalkeeper. Čech previously played for Viktoria Plzeň, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals...
and Carlo Cudicini
Carlo Cudicini
Carlo Cudicini is an Italian goalkeeper who currently plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. In his 10 years at Chelsea he established himself as one of England's best goalkeepers before injury and the arrival of Petr Cech displaced him as first-choice...
only to crawl off the field early in the game with what turned out to be a serious head injury.
In a lighter vein, during the first half of the home match against Newcastle on 30 April 2007 Kingsley Royal
Kingsley Royal
Kingsley, a bipedal lion, is the official mascot of Reading Football Club. He was first seen during the 1997-98 season. Up until the end of the 2005-06 season he was played by Noel Selby Armstrong, who has since been appointed assistant kit manager at Reading.The new man in the mask is...
, the Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
club mascot, was sent from the field by the referee for standing too close to the pitch. It was reported that one of Riley's assistants mistook Kingsley for one of the players and almost flagged him for offside. A spokesman for the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
said: "The referee reported to us that the mascot made a number of inflammatory gestures. I don't know what the gestures were and we are now making further enquiries and will look at video evidence." After reviewing video footage the FA confirmed that they would be taking no further action.
In a Euro 2008 qualifying match between Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
and Holland on 12 September 2007, Riley denied Albania a goal in the last minutes of the first half when Dutch defender Mario Melchiot
Mario Melchiot
Mario Deno Patrik Melchiot is a Dutch football defender who currently plays for Qatari Stars League club Umm Salal. He can play as either a right-back or a central defender, and has also occasionally played in midfield....
headed a ball behind his own goalkeeper after an Albanian free kick. Riley ruled out the goal and gave a free kick to Holland. He was also said to have finished the game two minutes early, due to fireworks being thrown from the spectators' area. The criticism in the Albanian media and from the Albanian players was very harsh. The Albanian Football Federation decided to file an official complaint with UEFA.
In February 2009 in a match between Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Riley sent off Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
for a tackle on Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
, with the score at 0–0. Liverpool went on to win the game 2–0. Replays however showed that Lampard had won the ball cleanly and he successfully appealed the red card. In the same game, Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
had earlier been involved in 2 potential red card incidents both of which were ignored by the referee. Lampard suggested that referees should take more time to consult with their assistants before making big decisions. In the same match, Riley failed to discipline José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa da Silva , known as Bosingwa, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, as a right defender.-Early years:...
for stamping on Yossi Benayoun
Yossi Benayoun
Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun is an Israeli international footballer who plays for Arsenal on loan from Chelsea.Benayoun plays as an attacking midfielder, often occupying the space just behind the striker. In Israel, he is sometimes nicknamed "The Diamond from Dimona". He is also the captain of the...
's back, a blatant foul for which Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
admitted Bosingwa should have been sent off. Because the assistant referee did see this incident and it was included in the match report, the FA were unable to review it to apply retrospective punishment.
In March 2009 Hull manager Phil Brown accused Riley of a "disgraceful" performance and of being influenced by the Arsenal fans during Hull's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
defeat at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
. Phil Brown was charged by the FA and fined £2,500 for improper conduct.
In April 2009 Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
played Manchester United in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi final. Mike Riley was appointed the referee and Everton Manager David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
questioned his appointment and called for an FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
investigation into whether the official had any allegiance towards Manchester United – a comment for which Moyes remains unpunished by th FA. However in the match itself, Manchester United were denied a possible penalty when Phil Jagielka
Phil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
brought down Danny Welbeck
Danny Welbeck
Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah "Danny" Welbeck is an English footballer who plays for Manchester United and the England national football team. He is a centre forward who can also play on the wing....
in the penalty area, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
to suggest that Mike Riley had been influenced by Moyes' comments
Career statistics
| Season | Games | Total | per game | Total | per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997/98 | 28 | 87 | 3.11 | 3 | 0.11 |
| 1998/99 | 23 | 81 | 3.52 | 7 | 0.30 |
| 1999/2000 | 28 | 93 | 3.32 | 9 | 0.32 |
| 2000/01 | 36 | 141 | 3.92 | 9 | 0.25 |
| 2001/02 | 31 | 117 | 3.77 | 19 | 0.61 |
| 2002/03 | 33 | 105 | 3.18 | 7 | 0.21 |
| 2003/04 | 38 | 130 | 3.42 | 6 | 0.16 |
| 2004/05 | 39 | 117 | 3.00 | 11 | 0.28 |
| 2005/06 | 42 | 147 | 3.50 | 16 | 0.31 |
| 2006/07 | 43 | 145 | 3.37 | 13 | 0.30 |
| 2007/08 | 37 | 124 | 3.35 | 6 | 0.16 |
| 2008/09 | 35 | 145 | 4.14 | 6 | 0.17 |
| Overall | 444 | 1432 | 3.23 | 109 | 0.25 |
| Please Note: There are no available records prior to 1997/1998 | |||||
External links
- Mike Riley Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com