Mike Riley (referee)

English football referee

Michael "Mike" Anthony Riley (born 17 December 1964) is an English former professional football referee, who has refereed in the English Football League, Premier League, and for FIFA and also is the General Manager for PGMOL who will be stepping down in November 2022.

Mike Riley
Full name Michael Anthony Riley
Born (1964-12-17) 17 December 1964 (age 59)
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Other occupation Accountant
Domestic
Years League Role
1989–1994 The Football League Assistant referee
1994—1996 The Football League Referee
1966–2009 Premier League Referee
1999—2009 FIFA listed Referee

Career change

He became a national Football League referee in 1994, having previously served five years on their assistant referees' list. He was later granted FIFA status in 1999 allowing him to officiate international fixtures.

In 2002, Riley refereed The FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea, which he later stated was "the highlight of my career". Riley took charge of the 2004 Football League 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 seven minutes and cautioned five players during the course of the game.