Every Premier League referee and the teams they penalise the most statistically

  • Kat Lucas
  • By 

Who would be a Premier League referee? 

To be a top-flight official nowadays, you have to boast the skin of a rhino, be in fantastic physical shape, and expect to be constantly undermined by VAR. 

In return, all you’re likely to get in return is abuse from fans, managers and players alike. 

Even Mike Dean recently admitted to chanting “the referee’s a w***er” when he goes to watch his beloved Tranmere Rovers. 

What makes things worse is that football is so entrenched in tribalism that many fans believe certain refs are out to get their team specifically. The idea they might make human errors is simply out of the question. 

Fear not, however, as GIVEMESPORT have taken a good look through the statistics from our friends at WhoScored.com to provide what we hope is a reasonable analysis of the different Premier League referees.

There are 21 refs in total who have taken the reins this season, with Martin Atkinson officially proving the harshest overall in terms of fouls per game.

Simon Hooper, Andy Madley, Peter Bankes, Oliver Langford, Tim Robinson, Darren England and Robert Jones have all appeared in under 10 games this season, so we’re going to let them off the hook.

So, which officials have penalised each team the most and whose offences are they more likely to brush under the carpet? 

Paul Tierney 

Fouls per game: 23.95
Yellow cards this season: 58
Red cards this season: 3
Who does he punish the most?: Manchester City, Crystal Palace, West Ham 
Who does he punish the least?: Liverpool, Sheffield United, Brighton 

Martin Atkinson 

Fouls per game: 21.52
Yellow cards this season: 72
Red cards this season: 3
Who does he punish the most?: Wolves, Liverpool, Manchester United 
Who does he punish the least?: Burnley, Watford, Leicester 

Michael Oliver 

Fouls per game: 
Yellow cards this season: 70
Red cards this season: 0
Who does he punish the most?: Aston Villa, Leicester, Everton 
Who does he punish the least?: Arsenal, Southampton, Crystal Palace 

Anthony Taylor 

Fouls per game: 20.57
Yellow cards this season: 98
Red cards this season: 4 
Who does he punish the most?: Burnley, Everton, Watford
Who does he punish the least?: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sheffield United 

Mike Dean

Fouls per game: 21.41
Yellow cards this season: 100
Red cards this season: 4
Who does he punish the most?: Southampton, Everton, Crystal Palace
Who does he punish the least?: Bournemouth, Leicester, Newcastle 

Jon Moss

Fouls per game: 19.70
Yellow cards this season: 77
Red cards this season: 2
Who does he punish the most?: Everton, Crystal Palace, Arsenal 
Who does he punish the least?: Leicester, Chelsea, Liverpool 

Kevin Friend

Fouls per game: 20.80
Yellow cards this season: 66
Red cards this season: 3
Who does he punish the most?: Sheffield United, Wolves, Aston Villa 
Who does he punish the least?: Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea 

Chris Kavanagh 

Fouls per game: 20.25
Yellow cards this season: 68
Red cards this season: 0
Who does he punish the most?: Leicester, Derby, Brighton 
Who does he punish the least?: Manchester City, Sheffield United, Newcastle 

Andre Marriner 

Fouls per game: 17.29
Yellow cards this season: 44
Red cards this season: 2
Who does he punish the most?: Manchester City, Everton, West Ham 
Who does he punish the least?: Liverpool, Norwich, Brighton 

Stuart Attwell 

Fouls per game: 20.33
Yellow cards this season: 65
Red cards this season: 2
Who does he punish the most?: Southampton, Wolves, Everton
Who does he punish the least?: Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Brighton 

Craig Pawson

Fouls per game: 25.80
Yellow cards this season: 62 
Red cards this season: 2 
Who does he punish the most?: Tottenham, Watford, Chelsea 
Who does he punish the least?: Liverpool, Huddersfield, Newcastle 

Graham Scott

Fouls per game: 18.07
Yellow cards this season: 44 
Red cards this season: 4
Who does he punish the most?: Southampton, Bournemouth, Watford
Who does he punish the least?: West Ham, Aston Villa, Burnley 

Lee Mason

Fouls per game: 23.46
Yellow cards this season: 48 
Red cards this season: 1
Who does he punish the most?: Burnley, Arsenal, Chelsea
Who does he punish the least?: Tottenham, Bournemouth, Aston Villa 

David Coote 

Fouls per game: 23.09
Yellow cards this season: 36 
Red cards this season: 1
Who does he punish the most?: Sheffield United, West Ham, Everton 
Who does he punish the least?: Wolves, Burnley, Norwich

Referees can’t always be blamed for those stats, of course. 

All of the above comes with the caveat that it’s heavily dependent on which games they’ve been asked to officiate and the various teams’ style of play, among other factors. So let’s not take it *too* seriously, now. 

Ultimately, fans will always feel their team gets a particularly hard time off particular officials. It’s a tale as old as time. 

It’s a good job that nowadays we’ve got VAR to finally make sure they get it right…

News Now - Sport News