Premier League referee Bobby Madley retires after ‘change in personal circumstances’

The Premier League had high hopes for him

Premier League referee Bobby Madley has abruptly quit and retired from professional refereeing after a change in his personal circumstances, according to The Telegraph.  Only 32 years old, he was tipped to become one of Europe's leading officials by the Premier League and was on the FIFA list. Madley was excluded from the list of referees for the Premier League's first weekend of fixtures, which is rare but not unheard of. His departure was not revealed to his peers in the referees' organisation, Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL), until the news broke this afternoon. In a statement PGMOL, said:  “Bobby Madley is no longer employed by PGMOL. We understand that he has decided to relocate due to a change in his personal circumstances.” Madley failed to attend the compulsory pre-season briefing at St. George's Park before the Premier League season began. Retired referee and managing director of PGMOL Mike Riley is expected to inform the other Premier League referees of the details of Madley's departure in the coming days. Madley was making a steady rise through the ranks as a match official, securing a place on the FIFA list in January which made him eligible to officiate international and European matches. He was also trusted with some high-profile matches last season, including Manchester United’s home games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as well as Liverpool vs Arsenal in March. He had refereed the Community Shield game between Arsenal and Chelsea in August last year too. The pool of Premier League referees is now only 17, with a replacement for Madley expected to be announced soon.