Liam Duckstein
Anthony Taylor: abuse drove my family away from matches, says referee
Anthony Taylor has spoken openly about the personal cost of life as a top referee, saying abuse from fans has stopped his family attending his matches.
The Premier League official, who has refereed at the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2020 and overseen finals such as the European Super Cup and the Nations League, told BBC Sport the pressure on match officials has become unsustainable.
Airport confrontation after 2023 Europa League final
Taylor spoke publicly for the first time about being targeted by supporters after the 2023 Europa League final, when he was abused while walking through an airport with his family following Roma‘s defeat on penalties to Sevilla.
“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse. Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there was actually no major mistakes in the game.”
The match itself was heated. Taylor showed 13 yellow cards and there were 25 minutes of added time across the fixture, including extra time. After the game Jose Mourinho called Taylor a “disgrace” twice in a press conference and confronted him later in a car park; the Portuguese manager received a four-match ban for the incident.
Taylor says he felt there was an attempt to “shift focus on to somebody to blame” and described the personal fallout: “Why that’s acceptable, I don’t know – because I’m sure those individuals wouldn’t like somebody to turn around and say that to them or their own children. It makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place. They haven’t been to one since.”
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Manchester UnitedScrutiny, social media and mental health
The referee, who said “I’m 47 next week,” is not on social media because he does not want to “waste time” reading negative commentary. He warned the relentless critique from fans, pundits and ex-officials can damage mental health and deter people from becoming referees.
“If you’re continually told you’re not very good, whether that be by people in the media, by pundits, or even ex-officials, then people’s mental health could potentially suffer.”
Last year the Premier League launched an investigation after online abuse aimed at Taylor. He also highlighted a wider problem at grassroots level: “Every single weekend you can go to any local park across the UK and you can see a parent on the sideline verbally abusing a young referee. That’s not an environment conducive to people getting better.”
VAR and the expectation of perfection
Taylor argues that the introduction of the video assistant referee system in the Premier League in 2019 has fuelled an unrealistic search for perfection.
“The amount of scrutiny and the amount of analysis and chat around Premier League football means everybody has a quest for perfection. In reality, perfection doesn’t exist. We’re expecting referees to get every decision right.”
He pointed out the contradiction in public attitudes: one week critics complain VAR is too forensic, the next they demand intervention. “People really need to decide what they want,” he said, urging a more realistic conversation about technology and its role.
Extreme conditions and looking ahead
Taylor was one of the officials at the Club World Cup in the United States this summer and described playing conditions as “absolutely brutal.” He praised the use of environmental chamber work to prepare for the heat and said similar preparation will be vital for next summer’s World Cup across North America.
Despite the pressures, Taylor still values his role. “When it comes down to it, it’s one of the best jobs in the world. You’re right in the centre of the action in the most exciting league in the world,” he said. He remains uncertain about how long he will carry on: “I don’t know, if I’m honest with you… I’m 47 next week, so that’s quite old for somebody to be operating at this level, running around after people a lot younger than you.”
Taylor also stressed support measures are in place for officials. The referees’ body PGMOL maintains a team of psychologists and works with the mental health charity Mind to support match officials.
He said a balanced approach matters: scrutiny is part of the game, he accepts, but it should not tip into abuse or create a fearful culture that harms performance and puts future referees off the job.