Prior to 2018, 2013-14 was the previous time England had three elite officials: Atkinson, Mark Clattenburg and Howard Webb. The elite list of referees take charge of tournament and Champions League games. England still lags behind across the two key categories, elite and first, with fewer officials than all the other top leagues. The Premier League has six referees on the second list: Stuart Attwell, Sam Barrott, Darren England, Jarred Gillett, Rob Jones and Andy Madley. England has been unrepresented on the elite list of the women's game since Rebecca Welch retired at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Source: BBC December 30, 2025 13:00 UTC