Premier League referee Martin Atkinson is set to retire from his duty at the end of the season. He had been in top-flight service for 17 years. However retiring he is said to be taking up the role of the backroom staff at the Professional Game Match Official Limited (PGMOL).
Veteran Atkinson unfolded, that former Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky was his favourite player to officiate in the Premier League. On the other hand, Everton’s Alan Stubbs was the toughest player he dealt in his long career. He said that Stubbs ‘scared him to death’.
Atkinson was a former police officer, who has spent 17 years in the league. Moreover, all those years in this service he has collected a bag full of memories. In his final season as a top-flight referee, the 51 year old recently took part in a Q/A in a mental health charity. Therefore he was heard saying:
“I’ve been lucky that I’ve got on with the vast majority of players but one that stands out is Tomas Rosicky. I always got on really well with him. We just pleasantly got on, not best mates or owt like that but he was always really respectful.”
Rosicky arrived at Arsenal in 2006. He came over from Borussia Dortmund and spent 10 seasons at the Emirates. Atkinson on the other hand remarked about Stubbs, “He would kick anything that moved, was hard as nails and scared me to death when I first got on.” “He was just so tough to referee that it was, like, impossible. I learned a lot from that – you learn how to manage players.”
Martin Atkinson refereeing CV in the Premier League
Across his career, Atkinson has refereed seven finals that include: Community Shield (2006-07), the FA Cup (2010-11), EFL Cup (2013-14). Also Europa Leage (2014-15), Community Shield (2019-20), Championship Play-Offs (2019-20).
Despite retiring, he is set to take over at PGMOL, where he will coach the Select Group 1 (pool of Premier League referees).
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