Mark Clattenburg
Encyclopedia
Mark Clattenburg is an English
professional football referee, who officiates primarily in the Premier League, and for FIFA
. He is based in Gosforth
, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He trained as an electrician
and is of part-Canadian ancestry.
and became an assistant referee
in the Northern League at the age of 18, later refereeing in that league. He became both a Football Conference
referee and a Football League assistant referee in the year 1999, but was rapidly promoted to the National List of Football League referees in the year 2000. He had served only one year as an assistant – a record shared with Steve Baines
– but his promise led to quicker promotion. His debut Football League match (at the age of just 25 – a one-time post-War record) was between Chesterfield
and York City
on 12 August 2000, with Chesterfield winning 4–1. Clattenburg was then fourth official for the 2001–02 Division Three
play-off final and the 2002–03 FA Trophy
final.
Clattenburg received criticism in 2002 following his failure to send off Stockport County
defender Dave Challinor
for a foul on Martin Pringle
during a game against Grimsby Town
. Pringle's leg was broken in two places and his career effectively ended by the foul; Clattenburg opted to give only a yellow card to Challinor.
Nevertheless, later in the 2002–03 season, Clattenburg was chosen to referee two play-off semi-finals – the Division One
first-leg 1–1 draw between Nottingham Forest
and Sheffield United
at the City Ground
on 10 May 2003, and the Division Two
second-leg home win by Queens Park Rangers
over Oldham at Loftus Road
on 14 May 2003, which put Rangers through to the final.
On 15 May 2004, he refereed the Division One play-off semi-final first leg between Ipswich
and West Ham
at Portman Road
, which was won 1-0 by the home side. He followed this with his appointment at Cardiff
's Millennium Stadium
on 31 May 2004 for the Division Three play-off final contested by Mansfield
and Huddersfield
, which required a penalty shoot-out after the match finished 0–0 after extra time
. Huddersfield won the shoot-out 4-1. Also in 2004, he became a Select Group referee in the Premier League, and his debut match at this level was the 3–1 away win by Everton
against Crystal Palace
on 21 August of the same year.
's testimonial match on 11 May 2006; he is a Newcastle United
fan, and therefore does not referee competitive games involving Newcastle. On 9 September 2006, he took charge of a qualifying match for the 2007 UEFA Under-17s Championship
at the Gradski Stadium in Skopje
between Macedonia and Denmark
; the away side winning 3–0.
Clattenburg was appointed to control both legs of the 2006–07 FA Youth Cup
final, contested by Liverpool
and Manchester United
, firstly at Anfield
on 16 April 2007 which United won 2-1, and then at Old Trafford
on 26 April 2007 which Liverpool won 1-0. With the aggregate scores tied, Liverpool won the subsequent penalty shoot-out 4-3 after a goalless 30 minutes of extra time.
On 6 August 2008 he refereed his first UEFA Champions League
match, a 5-0 away win for Fenerbahçe at MTK Budapest. Clattenburg's next Champions League appointment was not until 3 November 2010 when he took charge of Auxerre
's 2-1 win over visitors Ajax.
In the summer of 2008, Clattenburg was appointed to referee that year's FA Community Shield
, with Dave Richardson and Ian Gosling assisting and Andre Marriner
acting as fourth official. However, Clattenburg was later suspended from refereeing, pending an investigation into alleged debts incurred by companies to which he was connected. The Shield match between Portsmouth
and Manchester United took place at Wembley Stadium with Peter Walton
as the replacement referee.
Following the investigation into his personal life and business debts, the referees' governing body dismissed Clattenburg, citing a breach of contract. He denied all the allegations and appealed the decision. On 18 February 2009 the Professional Game Match Officials Board
reinstated Clattenburg as a Select Group referee. However, he had to serve an eight-month suspension, starting from his original suspension date of 6 August 2008. Upon his return from suspension on the last day of the Premier League season, Clattenburg refereed a fixture between Manchester City
and Bolton Wanderers
— his only domestic appointment of that season.
Clattenburg's only involvement to date in a FIFA World Cup
was as fourth official for a 2010 tournament UEFA qualifying group 4 match between Azerbaijan
and Russia
in Baku on 14 October 2009.
He has officiated qualifying games for Euro Championship
s. In September 2010 he oversaw a 4-4 draw between Portugal
and Cyprus
, a qualifier for Euro 2012. His first Euro Championship match however was a 4-0 home win for Denmark
over Liechtenstein
, a group F qualifier for Euro 2008.
between Everton and Liverpool on 20 October 2007. The first notable incident involving Clattenburg was the award of a penalty kick
for an apparent professional foul
by Everton's Tony Hibbert
on Liverpool's Steven Gerrard
. Clattenburg initially appeared to take out his yellow card to book Hibbert but after an interaction, albeit brief, with Gerrard, Clattenburg changed his mind and issued Hibbert a red card. He later elected not to send off Dirk Kuyt
for a waist-high lunge at Phil Neville. One final controversy arose when he declined Everton's appeals for a penalty in the third minute of injury time, with the score at 1–2, when Jamie Carragher
appeared to foul Joleon Lescott
in the Liverpool penalty area. Clattenburg has never since been appointed to referee an Everton match.
In December 2009, Clattenburg took charge of a tie between Bolton Wanderers
and Manchester City
. City personnel alleged that at half-time, Clattenburg asked members of their bench: "How do you work with Craig Bellamy all week?" In the second half that followed, he booked Bellamy twice, once for dissent and then for diving, although replays suggested he was actually fouled. City manager Mark Hughes
later said: "I've seen Mark Clattenburg have a lot better games than he's had [here today]" and described his decision to send off Bellamy as "laughable".
Clattenburg has also encountered contempt when officiating two fixtures between Tottenham Hotspur
and Manchester United
. In 2005 when Tottenham's Pedro Mendes
had a long-range shot fumbled over the line by United goalkeeper Roy Carroll
, neither Clattenburg or his assistants were in a position to award the goal. Five years later, in October 2010, he allowed to stand a United goal scored under controversial circumstances (although strictly correct under game laws) when Nani
tapped the ball into the net while Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes believed his team had a free-kick.
Clattenburg has, however, been the recipient of good feedback from some figures in his recent career. After an incident-filled game between Queens Park Rangers
and Nottingham Forest
in February 2011, QPR manager Neil Warnock
described the official's handling of the match as "absolutely fantastic". Clattenburg issued an early red card to Forest's Radosław Majewski for a two-footed lunge on Adel Taarabt
, and he also dismissed QPR appeals for a penalty when Wayne Routledge
went tumbling in the box late on. Despite that, and a total of 27 fouls during the game, Warnock praised Clattenburg for being "so in control."
Statistics are for all competitions, including domestic, European and international. No records are available prior to 2000/01.
, and was chosen to play football for them, as well as South Northumberland. He is divorced from his wife, Helen, with whom he lived in Chester-le-Street
, and they had one son during the marriage. He subsequently moved to Gosforth.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football referee, who officiates primarily in the Premier League, and for FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. He is based in Gosforth
Gosforth
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, to the north of the city centre. Gosforth constituted an urban district from 1895 to 1974, when it became part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of 23,620...
, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He trained as an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
and is of part-Canadian ancestry.
Early career
Clattenburg took up refereeing in 1990 as part of The Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
and became an assistant referee
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
in the Northern League at the age of 18, later refereeing in that league. He became both a Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
referee and a Football League assistant referee in the year 1999, but was rapidly promoted to the National List of Football League referees in the year 2000. He had served only one year as an assistant – a record shared with Steve Baines
Steve Baines
Stephen John "Steve" Baines is an English former footballer and later a referee in the Football League. Born in Newark, Nottinghamshire, during his refereeing career he resided in Chesterfield, Derbyshire...
– but his promise led to quicker promotion. His debut Football League match (at the age of just 25 – a one-time post-War record) was between Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
and York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
on 12 August 2000, with Chesterfield winning 4–1. Clattenburg was then fourth official for the 2001–02 Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
play-off final and the 2002–03 FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
final.
Clattenburg received criticism in 2002 following his failure to send off Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
defender Dave Challinor
Dave Challinor
David Paul "Dave" Challinor is an English former footballer who is currently the manager of AFC Fylde. He played in the Football League as a professional from 1994 until 2008 with Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County and Bury....
for a foul on Martin Pringle
Martin Pringle
Martin Pringle is a former Swedish professional footballer and current football manager who played as a centre forward between 1991 and 2002 notably for Benfica and Charlton Athletic, having also featured for Stenungsunds IF, Helsingborgs and Grimsby Town...
during a game against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
. Pringle's leg was broken in two places and his career effectively ended by the foul; Clattenburg opted to give only a yellow card to Challinor.
Nevertheless, later in the 2002–03 season, Clattenburg was chosen to referee two play-off semi-finals – the Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
first-leg 1–1 draw between Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
on 10 May 2003, and the Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
second-leg home win by Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
over Oldham at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
on 14 May 2003, which put Rangers through to the final.
On 15 May 2004, he refereed the Division One play-off semi-final first leg between Ipswich
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
and West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
, which was won 1-0 by the home side. He followed this with his appointment at Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
's Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
on 31 May 2004 for the Division Three play-off final contested by Mansfield
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
and Huddersfield
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, which required a penalty shoot-out after the match finished 0–0 after extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. Huddersfield won the shoot-out 4-1. Also in 2004, he became a Select Group referee in the Premier League, and his debut match at this level was the 3–1 away win by Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on 21 August of the same year.
Top flight and international refereeing
Clattenburg became a FIFA referee in 2006, at the age of 30 - reaching this distinction earlier than any English referee in living memory. He refereed Alan ShearerAlan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
's testimonial match on 11 May 2006; he is a Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
fan, and therefore does not referee competitive games involving Newcastle. On 9 September 2006, he took charge of a qualifying match for the 2007 UEFA Under-17s Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship 2007 Final Tournament was held in Belgium from May 2, 2007, to May 13, 2007. Top 5 teams will qualify for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007...
at the Gradski Stadium in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
between Macedonia and Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
; the away side winning 3–0.
Clattenburg was appointed to control both legs of the 2006–07 FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
final, contested by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, firstly at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on 16 April 2007 which United won 2-1, and then at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
on 26 April 2007 which Liverpool won 1-0. With the aggregate scores tied, Liverpool won the subsequent penalty shoot-out 4-3 after a goalless 30 minutes of extra time.
On 6 August 2008 he refereed his first UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match, a 5-0 away win for Fenerbahçe at MTK Budapest. Clattenburg's next Champions League appointment was not until 3 November 2010 when he took charge of Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
's 2-1 win over visitors Ajax.
In the summer of 2008, Clattenburg was appointed to referee that year's FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
, with Dave Richardson and Ian Gosling assisting and Andre Marriner
Andre Marriner
Andre Marriner is an English professional football referee who officiates in the Premier League. He is based in Sheldon, West Midlands.-Career:...
acting as fourth official. However, Clattenburg was later suspended from refereeing, pending an investigation into alleged debts incurred by companies to which he was connected. The Shield match between Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and Manchester United took place at Wembley Stadium with Peter Walton
Peter Walton (referee)
Peter Walton , is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League, and former player in the United Counties League. He is based in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, the town which he played his football for...
as the replacement referee.
Following the investigation into his personal life and business debts, the referees' governing body dismissed Clattenburg, citing a breach of contract. He denied all the allegations and appealed the decision. On 18 February 2009 the Professional Game Match Officials Board
Professional Game Match Officials Board
The Professional Game Match Officials Board , and since made a Limited Liability Company , was formed when English association football referees turned professional in 2001, specifically to provide match officials for all games played in the Premier League in England...
reinstated Clattenburg as a Select Group referee. However, he had to serve an eight-month suspension, starting from his original suspension date of 6 August 2008. Upon his return from suspension on the last day of the Premier League season, Clattenburg refereed a fixture between Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
— his only domestic appointment of that season.
Clattenburg's only involvement to date in a FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
was as fourth official for a 2010 tournament UEFA qualifying group 4 match between Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
and Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
in Baku on 14 October 2009.
He has officiated qualifying games for Euro Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
s. In September 2010 he oversaw a 4-4 draw between Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
and Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
, a qualifier for Euro 2012. His first Euro Championship match however was a 4-0 home win for Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
over Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
, a group F qualifier for Euro 2008.
Criticisms
Perhaps Clattenburg's fiercest criticism in top-flight refereeing followed his officiating of the Merseyside derbyMerseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
between Everton and Liverpool on 20 October 2007. The first notable incident involving Clattenburg was the award of a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
for an apparent professional foul
Professional foul
In sports, a professional foul is a deliberate act of foul play, usually to prevent an opponent's scoring.-Association football:The concept gained notoriety in association football after an infamous incident in the 1980 FA Cup Final when Willie Young of Arsenal committed a deliberate foul on Paul...
by Everton's Tony Hibbert
Tony Hibbert
Anthony James "Tony" Hibbert is an English footballer, who currently plays for Everton. Originally a midfielder, Hibbert now plays at right back.-Club career:...
on Liverpool's Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
. Clattenburg initially appeared to take out his yellow card to book Hibbert but after an interaction, albeit brief, with Gerrard, Clattenburg changed his mind and issued Hibbert a red card. He later elected not to send off Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
for a waist-high lunge at Phil Neville. One final controversy arose when he declined Everton's appeals for a penalty in the third minute of injury time, with the score at 1–2, when Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
appeared to foul Joleon Lescott
Joleon Lescott
Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back....
in the Liverpool penalty area. Clattenburg has never since been appointed to referee an Everton match.
In December 2009, Clattenburg took charge of a tie between Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. City personnel alleged that at half-time, Clattenburg asked members of their bench: "How do you work with Craig Bellamy all week?" In the second half that followed, he booked Bellamy twice, once for dissent and then for diving, although replays suggested he was actually fouled. City manager Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
later said: "I've seen Mark Clattenburg have a lot better games than he's had [here today]" and described his decision to send off Bellamy as "laughable".
Clattenburg has also encountered contempt when officiating two fixtures between Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. In 2005 when Tottenham's Pedro Mendes
Pedro Mendes
Pedro Miguel da Silva Mendes is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Vitória Guimarães of the Portuguese first division .Starting his career with home town club Vitória de Guimarães, Mendes won a UEFA Champions League medal with FC Porto in 2004...
had a long-range shot fumbled over the line by United goalkeeper Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
, neither Clattenburg or his assistants were in a position to award the goal. Five years later, in October 2010, he allowed to stand a United goal scored under controversial circumstances (although strictly correct under game laws) when Nani
Nani
-People:*Nani, a Portuguese footballer who plays for Manchester United*Gianluca Nani, former technical director at West Ham United*Nanabhoy Palkhivala, nicknamed Nani, an Indian jurist and economist*Nani Roma, a Spanish rally racing driver...
tapped the ball into the net while Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes believed his team had a free-kick.
Clattenburg has, however, been the recipient of good feedback from some figures in his recent career. After an incident-filled game between Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in February 2011, QPR manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
described the official's handling of the match as "absolutely fantastic". Clattenburg issued an early red card to Forest's Radosław Majewski for a two-footed lunge on Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt is a Moroccan footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as an Attacking midfielder and can also be used as a winger....
, and he also dismissed QPR appeals for a penalty when Wayne Routledge
Wayne Routledge
Wayne Neville Anthony Routledge is an English footballer who plays for Swansea City. He plays as a midfielder predominantly on the right wing but can also play on the left. He has represented England at under-16, under-19 and under-21 level...
went tumbling in the box late on. Despite that, and a total of 27 fouls during the game, Warnock praised Clattenburg for being "so in control."
Card statistics
| Season | Games | Total | per game | Total | per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000/2001 2000-01 in English football The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons... |
24 | 67 | 2.79 | 4 | 0.17 |
| 2001/2002 2001-02 in English football The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the... |
33 | 103 | 3.12 | 6 | 0.18 |
| 2002/2003 2002-03 in English football The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable... |
35 | 135 | 3.86 | 8 | 0.23 |
| 2003/2004 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
34 | 104 | 3.06 | 2 | 0.06 |
| 2004/2005 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
28 | 83 | 2.96 | 5 | 0.18 |
| 2005/2006 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
24 | 81 | 3.38 | 4 | 0.17 |
| 2006/2007 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
42 | 166 | 3.95 | 3 | 0.07 |
| 2007/2008 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
39 | 124 | 3.18 | 10 | 0.26 |
| 2008/2009 2008–09 in English football The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while... |
2 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2009/2010 2009–10 in English football The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League... |
42 | 105 | 2.50 | 5 | 0.12 |
| 2010/2011 2010–11 in English football The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May... |
40 | 123 | 3.08 | 7 | 0.18 |
| 2011/2012 2011–12 in English football The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two... |
Statistics are for all competitions, including domestic, European and international. No records are available prior to 2000/01.
Personal life
Clattenburg went to Cramlington High SchoolCramlington Community High School
Cramlington Learning Village, formerly Cramlington Community High School, is a large high school in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.-History:...
, and was chosen to play football for them, as well as South Northumberland. He is divorced from his wife, Helen, with whom he lived in Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, and they had one son during the marriage. He subsequently moved to Gosforth.
External links
- Mark Clattenburg Profile at Refworld.com
- Mark Clattenburg Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com