IT might be stating the obvious but you can’t have a game of football without an appointed referee!
Match officials deserve our respect. It is a difficult job – especially in the modern era with so much media scrutiny, decisions impacting Championship relegation tips and title odds every weekend.
Focusing on our EFL Championship, I want to analyse the current crop of referees.
After all, there is massive interest in the second tier of English football prompting betting and bet builder activity each weekend.
So here is a look at relevant Championship statistics for match officials. They are part of what is known as Select Group 2.
In addition to these stats, I spoke to former top referees Keith Hackett and Mark Halsey to obtain their verdicts on the leading Championship performers out in the middle…
Championship Referee Statistics
*Figures correct as of 17th February 2025*
Salaries: The basic wage for EFL Championship referees is in the region of £50,000 per year. They also receive match fees of approximately £500 per game.
Appearances: Four referees lead the way with 20 matches officiated each this season in the EFL Championship: John Busby, Oliver Langford, Josh Smith and David Webb.
Most red cards: For 2024/25, the greatest number of red cards issued is six by Gavin Ward in his 18 games.
Most yellow cards: Josh Smith has brandished 83 yellow cards across 20 matches.
Championship Referees Ranked by Keith Hackett
In recent months I have been impressed with four Select Group 2 referees that are knocking on the door of the Premier League.
The important aspect of their ongoing careers is to have good coaches in place and the appropriate leadership and direction.
Josh Smith
Smith was promoted to the EFL Referees list in 2018 and quickly received successive promotions to SG2. He is fit and mobile and reads the game really well.
He also possesses good communication and management skills. He should be given a run of games in the Premier League.
James Linnington
One of the more experienced officials in the English Football League.
First became an EFL referee in 2008 and has since refereed more than 4,000 matches in the League. He should be given the opportunity of Premier League appointments.
Andrew Kitchen
I have watched several of his recent matches and he delivers consistent performances.
He began officiating in the EFL at the start of the 2021/22 season and has so far taken charge of more than 50 fixtures.
Steve Martin
My fourth choice would be Steve Martin who is the son of a former top assistant referee.
Championship Referees Ranked by Mark Halsey
I’ve been going through the list of referees and watching them in action during fixtures involving the team I support – Queens Park Rangers in the Championship.
There is a pool of good match officials.
However, the leadership and direction of training, educating and coaching these referees is so important. As a referee, it is all about engaging with the players and understanding the game by reading the play and anticipating.
It just seems that they are currently showing a yellow card for every foul and there is no need for that. It’s not always about the laws of the game. It is about knowing the game of football. But a number of guys have impressed me...
Geoff Eltringham
He has been around quite a long time. Geoff was on the list when I was refereeing on the Football League. I’ve always known him to be a common sense referee.
Bobby Madley
Another experienced official who understands the game. He doesn’t go reaching for his yellow card willy-nilly.
Steve Martin
He looks like a heavyweight boxer at times with his physique! But he’s another referee who uses a little bit of common sense.
Josh Smith
A young referee coming through. I think he’s got a great talent and he’s had a few games in the Premier League this season. Josh has bags of potential and ability.
I should also mention David Webb and Dean Whitestone. For me, these are the match officials who have got a little bit about them. They know the game and they referee the game itself and not for themselves.
It is all about the players – understanding the players, managing the players and managing the event. Overall, we want the best people refereeing the games at the highest level.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*
