PGMOL Makes A Number Of Leadership Appointments

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have announced a number of key appointments to its leadership team.

In addition to Howard Webb arriving as Chief Refereeing Officer, Danielle Every, Dr Steve McNally and Dr Wayne Allison have all agreed to take up further new positions of Chief Operating Officer, Performance Support Director and Coaching Director respectively.

Webb will shortly be joined by Allison, with the vastly-experienced duo of Every and McNally following by the spring, as PGMOL prepare for a new era, focused on the continued delivery of the Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP).

Webb joins after a five-year stint as General Manager of Professional Referee Organisation (PRO), the body which is responsible for managing the professional match officials programme in the United States and Canada, having initially been their Manager of Video Assistant Referee Operations.

Webb commented: “This is a perfect time to be joining PGMOL with the organisation going places following the confirmation of the ERDP, backed up by the appointments of new personnel in key leadership positions.

“They were both major factors in me taking the role and I’m relishing the challenge of working together to build on the strong foundations in place and really drive PGMOL forward for the benefit of all levels of elite refereeing and the game we all love as a whole. I’m very much looking forward to getting going now.”

Every will move from British Cycling where she is currently acting Chief Executive Officer, while Dr McNally is due to start in February, making the switch from Manchester United as their Head of Football Medicine and Science.

Dr Allison will join PGMOL in January having, amongst many other positions, most recently held the role of Technical Director of the League Managers Association.

PGMOL Chairman Mike Foster, said of the appointments: “I’m delighted to welcome Howard, Dani, Steve and Wayne to PGMOL – to be able to appoint four people of their quality is a significant step forward for the organisation.

“Each of them will bring their vast experience in elite sport and fresh perspective, adding to the existing expertise and refereeing know-how on the current Leadership Team. 

“I am confident that this new team will build on the strong foundations put in place under the management of Mike Riley and lead the transformation of refereeing under the ERDP in the years ahead, including creating a successful pathway for the development of referees, similar to the pathways put in place for players and coaches.”

Mike Riley will step down from his role as Managing Director later in the 2022/23 season after leading the organisation for 13 years.

Image: Lesly Juarez – Unsplash