It’s the one presence on the field that will offer equal intrigue to both Liverpool and Everton and supporters in Saturday’s Merseyside derby.
And while not kicking a ball, they could have as much influence on the 243rd meeting between the old rivals as any of the players or coaching staff at Anfield.
The appointment of the matchday officials, and the referee in particular, later this week will be greeted with the usual reaction from both sides of Stanley Park, with some fans undoubtedly unimpressed regardless of whoever is handed the responsibility of helming the most volatile fixture in Premier League history.
Given recent dealings with the authorities, Liverpool followers will perhaps have greater reason to keep an eye on the man in the middle, with some fans – as with every club – convinced they get a rough ride off certain individuals.
But how actually have the Reds fared depending on who is in charge? And does it actually matter?
So far this season, after eight rounds of fixtures a total 23 different referees have officiated in the Premier League. The majority form the 20 Select Group 1 Referees chosen by the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) in August, with the remainder those from Select Group 2 who are being given an opportunity in the top tier.
Of those 23, nine – Robert Jones, Peter Bankes, Jarred Gillett, Tim Robinson, Michael Salisbury, Samuel Barrott, Darren Bond, Tony Harrington and Josh Smith – have yet to officiate Liverpool in the Premier League, and of the remaining 14, that only six have taken charge of the Reds in the top flight more than eight times points not only to a high turnover of referees, but also that certain officials are entrusted with bigger games than others.
Evidence of that can been seen this term. Both Anthony Taylor and Simon Hooper have already refereed two Liverpool games each – Taylor at Chelsea and Brighton, Hooper at home to Aston Villa and, infamously, away to Tottenham Hotspur – while Michael Oliver and Chris Kavanagh, who are both into double figures in terms of officiating the Reds in the top flight, have also helmed matches.
Interesting, though, is that Hooper had only refereed Liverpool in the Premier League on three previous occasion, all of them last season and two, the Anfield derby and the trip to Manchester City, among the most high-profile in any Liverpool campaign. Clearly Hooper is regarded highly by his superiors.
Both Taylor (53 games) and Oliver (52 games) have encountered Liverpool far more than the rest of the current Premier League referees. Next in the list is Craig Pawson (29 games), then Paul Tierney (23 games), Stuart Attwell (17 games) and Kavanagh (13 games).
Of that group, Liverpool have fared best when Kavanagh is in charge, winning 12 of 13 matches for an average of 2.77 points per game. That, though, reflects the standard of opposition and venue – eight have been at Anfield, while none have been against teams considered traditional top six rivals. Kavanagh has, however, overseen two Merseyside derbies, including Everton’s Anfield triumph behind closed doors in February 2021.
The records when Taylor and Oliver are involved are similar, with Liverpool taking 1.94 points per game under the former and 1.81 points under the latter. In the last three years alone, Taylor has taken charge of eight games against major rivals, with Oliver officiating seven.
The current officials to have refereed Liverpool fewer than 10 times in the Premier League have a much smaller sample size and, as an understandable consequence, the findings are a mixed bag. The Reds have won only two of eight games under Robert Madley – although, in mitigation, his last Premier League match in the middle involving Liverpool was way back in May 2017 – while at the other end of the scale, Liverpool have won all four games under Graham Scott, the last of which was approaching five years ago.
And the lowest points per game tally is from a referee who has taken charge of just three Liverpool matches in the Premier League that last season resulted in a heavy defeat at Brighton, a goalless draw at Crystal Palace and a comedy 4-4 stalemate at Southampton on the final day.
His name? Darren England, who was the VAR at the epicentre of Liverpool’s controversial trip to Tottenham Hotspur last month in which he encouraged referee Hooper to dismissed Curtis Jones by reviewing a freeze-frame review and then ruled out a perfectly good Luis Diaz goal due to a miscommunication with the on-field official.
That number will surely change over time. But, for obvious reasons, it might be a while before England is seen blowing the whistle on Liverpool in the Premier League.
