Atkinson has been very strong this year and was appointed to the high profile Manchester City-Chelsea match, where he had a good performance. Atkinson also has done well on the European circuit, refereeing a Champions League Playoff match. Look for the veteran Atkinson to see some more key matches this coming season. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: 4th Official
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| Atkinson has taken the lead in our BPL referee rankings |
Dean has fallen down one in the rankings after a decent but non spectacular start to the season that included a clear holding foul in the box missed in Aston Villa vs. Manchester United. Overall, I still have confidence in Dean's ability, but you would like to see a little more from a top referee. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City
3. Mark Clattenburg (-1)
Honestly, Mark Clattenburg hasn't done anything wrong yet this season. He correctly sent off John Terry and called a penalty in the Chelsea-West Brom week 3 fixture and has kept good control in a couple more quiet matches. However, he hasn't seen a big match yet this season, which pushes him a tad behind Atkinson and Dean. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: Manchester United vs. Liverpool
4. Michael Oliver (+1)
Oliver is starting to move towards the top of our list after an excellent August. He started out with a great performance in Chelsea-Swansea on the opening weekend, correctly sending off Thibaut Courtois for DOGSO in a courageous decision. He then was assigned to the huge match between Arsenal and Liverpool and recently got two red card decisions right at Stoke. Those three things are enough to move him up in the rankings. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: Norwich City vs. Bournemouth
5. Anthony Taylor (-1)
Taylor was decent overall, but it's the Adrian red card decision that dropped him down. We feel like a yellow could've sufficed in that case since Adrian had no way of knowing he was kicking the Leicester player. Otherwise Taylor has been good this season, but when you couple that mistake with Michael Oliver's good performances he has to drop down one spot. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: 4th Official
6. Craig Pawson (+2)
I know what you're thinking: Pawson? Wasn't he the referee who was poor in the Liverpool-Bournemouth match? However, I actually thought Pawson was good in the match, with his call to deny Bournemouth a goal being a good call since it was a clear foul. The only big mistake was made by Pawson's AR, who failed to flag Christian Benteke for offsides on Liverpool's goal. Now to be fair, Pawson would've stayed at 8 if two other referees didn't get dropped down in our list. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Football League Championship
7. Lee Probert (-1)
Probert has dropped in our rankings simply due to the fact that he is once again having fitness issues and is yet to referee a game this season at any level. He is still in our top 10, but at this point all we have to rely on regarding Probert is his past performances. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: Off
8. Phil Dowd (-1)
Like fellow referee Lee Probert, Dowd is also fighting monumental fitness issues and hasn't refereed this season or since last February for that matter. We'll continue to wait on Dowd's return, but until he comes back he is bound to keep falling in our list. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: Off
9. Andre Marriner (no change)
Marriner was criticized by many for his red card decision in the recent Newcastle-Arsenal match but I think he got it right since it was a clear violent conduct case. This was also a great example of Marriner starting to move away from his conservative style of refereeing, which we outlined in the last rankings. Look for Marriner to try to build off a good start in the upcoming weeks. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: Everton vs. Chelsea
10. Jonathan Moss (no change)
Moss has also had a good start to the season, and looks primed to climb up our rankings if he continues the good work he has shown in a couple reasonably difficult matches this season such as the season opener between Manchester United and Tottenham. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Arsenal vs. Stoke
11. Lee Mason (no change)
Mason has continued to struggle with consistency, which was very evident in the Week 2 match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, in which he only showed a yellow on one of two very similar fouls. If Mason could just become more consistent he could start to move up the ranks. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: West Ham vs. Newcastle United
12. Neil Swarbrick (no change)
There isn't much to write about Swarbrick so far this season after he had two quiet matches in lowish level fixtures. So far so good for Swarbrick, but the jury is still out on whether his success will continue. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: Sunderland vs. Tottenham
13. Mike Jones (+2)
Jones has shaken off an inconsistent 2014-15 to have a strong opening to this year, getting most of his key decisions right in two early matches, leading to a surprise appointment to Everton-Manchester City in Week 3. Jones isn't somebody I consider a top referee but you never know with referees. Sometimes they start to make a change in approach that raises their level. Maybe Jones is one of those referees. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: Leicester vs. Aston Villa
14. Roger East (-1)
East is the third referee on our list who is yet to officiate a Premier League match due to an injury, but of all the referees who have been out he does look like the most likely to return to the Premier League shortly, having refereed in the League two and League one in the past two weeks. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Watford vs. Swansea City
15. Robert Madley (+1)
Madley still seems to not get that many appointments, only refereeing two matches so far this season. However, he has been good in the two matches including a relatively big match between Tottenham and Stoke. Madley is still only 29 years old and has a bright future in front of him that could come to fruition in the next couple years. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: West Brom vs. Southampton
16. Kevin Friend (-2)
Friend drops two spots after an abysmal performance in Liverpool-West Ham in which he appeared to incorrectly send two players off. Not much to say other than that Friend is just really unsure of what calls to make. He needs to turn it around fast if he wants to stay in the Select Group much longer. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: 4th Official
17. Graham Scott (no change)
The BPL's newest official is still yet to referee a match due to his own fitness issues. Until he actually referees a Premier League match, we have no choice but to put him in the bottom spot on our list. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: Off
BONUS SECTION!
Promotion Battle Rankings
1. Keith Stroud
2. Paul Tierney
3. Simon Hooper
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