Story by
Everton vs Coventry City set for refereeing rarity after past rule change
- Story by
- Everton vs Coventry City set for refereeing rarity after past rule change
Stuart Attwell's appointment as referee for Everton's clash with Coventry City may raise some eyebrows.
The Premier League announced on Monday that Attwell will ref the game at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday night.
Advertisement
Attwell is accustomed to officiating Everton matches, having done so 35 times down the years.
Newcastle United are the only side he has managed as many times in his career.
Right down the other end of the list are Coventry, who he has refereed just once.
Attwell is from Nuneaton in Warwickshire - around nine miles from Coventry - but Keith Hackett has explained why that is no longer an issue.
Is Stuart Attwell allowed to referee Coventry matches?
Attwell's only previous Coventry match came in the 2024-25 season when he oversaw a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Seeing the Warwickshire native's name next to Coventry on the appointments list may lead to some asking if he can referee the Sky Blues.
Advertisement
Who better to ask than former Premier League referee Keith Hackett, who also previously headed PGMOL.
"In my era, we would not be allowed to officiate a league or cup game in the city or region where you live," Hackett exclusively told Goodison News.
"More recently, I can recall Mike Dean, who lived in the Wirral, appointed to the FA Cup final. When Liverpool won through, Mike was taken off the final.
"But under Mike Riley, the then-boss of the PGMOL, he relaxed the criteria. This resulted in Altrincham-based Anthony Taylor officiating Manchester clubs."
So the rules were relaxed some time ago to ensure referees can indeed take charge of teams from the area - or surrounding areas - in which they are from.
Advertisement
Everton controversy to be dug up again after referee appointment vs Coventry City Can any referees not ref Everton games?
Having Attwell in charge of a Coventry game is a rarity, and you can bet that any big decision that goes against Everton will spark a debate.
There are some referees who cannot ref Everton games under any circumstances.
Jarrad Gillet may be from Australia, but he is a self-confessed Liverpool fan and therefore cannot referee Everton.
The other name on the list is Rob Jones, who is from the Wirral, ruling him out of both Everton and Liverpool fixtures.
