Mike Riley announced on this day in 2022 that he would be stepping down as English referees chief.
The former top-level referee had been managing director of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for 13 years, but called his tenure to a close at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
“I am proud of the contribution our match officials have made to the professional game and have enjoyed working with a such a dedicated, professional and high-quality group at all of the levels that PGMOL manages,” said Riley.
“As the Elite Referee Development Plan begins to take shape, now is the right time to plan for the future and allow the new leadership team to build on the strong foundations that we have in place.
“I look forward to working with the new team over the next season and giving them my support before I step down.”
Howard Webb was appointed PGMOL’s first chief refereeing officer in August 2022 in a newly-created role, while Danielle Every was lured from British Cycling to become the organisation’s chief operating officer that December.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “On behalf of the Premier League, I would like to thank Mike for his valuable contribution and significant commitment to PGMOL over the last 13 years as well as his considerable service to the game as an elite referee for 20 years.
“During his time at PGMOL, he has worked hard to deliver and develop high-quality match officials across the professional game and led on the implementation of VAR into the Premier League three seasons ago.”
As the plaudits continued, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham added: “Mike Riley has played a crucial role in the development of refereeing over recent years, both as an elite referee and during his tenure at PGMOL. On behalf of The FA, I’d like to thank Mike for his dedication and commitment to refereeing and wish him all the best for the future.”