Rob Styles

infobox football official
name = Rob Styles


fullname = Robert Styles
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1964|4|21
cityofbirth = Waterlooville, Hampshire
countryofbirth = England
school = Cowplain Comprehensive School
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
otheroccupation =
years = ? – ?
? – ?
1996–2000
2000–
league = Wessex League
Isthmian League
Football League
Premier League
role = Referee
Referee
Referee
Referee
internationalyears = 2002–
confederation = FIFA listed
internationalrole = Referee

Robert Styles (born 21 April1964 [http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/RefereeProfilesDetail/0,,10794~628215,00.html Profile] at the Football League Official website.] ) is an English football Referee from Waterlooville, Hampshire, who officiates in the FA Premier League, and for FIFA.

Career

He began refereeing in 1987, officiating in the Wessex League and then the Isthmian League before being appointed to the National List of referees in 1996. The year 2000 was a busy one for Styles. He handled a Football League First Division play-off semi-final, and a Second Division play-off semi-final, plus the Second Division play-off final itself, between Wigan Athletic and Gillingham at Wembley, which ended 2–3 after extra time. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=306783 2000 play-off final] , the old Football League Second Division: soccerbase.com website.] He was also fourth official for both the Football League Trophy final of that year between Stoke City and Bristol City, and the 2000 FA Trophy Final, when Kingstonian beat Kettering Town 3–2.

His promotion to the Premier League list also happened in the year 2000, and his first match in the top group was the 1–0 win by Leicester City at West Ham United on August 23 2000, Darren Eadie scoring the goal. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=290523 First ever Premiership match] : soccerbase.com website.] He became a FIFA referee in 2002.

He was referee for the 2003 FA Youth Cup Final when Manchester United beat Middlesbrough 3–1. [ [http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFAYouthCup/History/Postings/2002/07/15018.htm FA Youth Cup Final] , 2003: TheFA.com website.] However, his highest honour was his selection as referee for the 2005 FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, between Arsenal and Manchester United, which the Gunners won 5–4 on penalties after a 0–0 draw following extra time. [ [http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/04/FACup_Final_MatchReport.htm FA Cup Final 2005] , report: TheFA.com website.]

Controversies

Liverpool v. Chelsea, Premier League, 2007-08

On August 19 2007, Styles refereed the Premier League game between Liverpool and Chelsea, where he awarded a controversial penalty to Chelsea.Fact|date=September 2008 Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez was quoted as saying that the decision was 'unbelievable'. "That decision is impossible to explain, it was the invisible penalty" said Benítez after the 1–1 draw.Fact|date=June 2008. Later in the same game, Michael Essien was seemingly booked twice but not sent from the field of play after Styles showed John Terry a yellow card and then, a minute or so later after putting the card away and walking several yards to talk to Essien (who was booked earlier in the game) and Fernando Torres, lifted another yellow card in Essien's direction, although whilst looking towards Terry. However, it was subsequently confirmed by the fourth official, Phil Dowd, that Styles had only booked Terry and not Essien. It was the putting away and re-showing of the card that confused spectators and commentators, as it meant that two separate yellow cards had been shown during the incident, when Styles only meant to show one. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6941876.stm Liverpool 1–1 Chelsea] : report from the BBC.co.uk website.]

As a result of his decision to award the penalty, and the confusion regarding the yellow cards, it was announced on August 20 2007 by Keith Hackett, general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), that Styles would be "dropped" for one round of matches.Fact|date=September 2008 He also sent an apology to the Liverpool manager. This was confirmed in a press statement on the same day, when Hackett said: "Having looked at a video and seen a better angle and a better view, clearly he (Styles) now recognises that he got it wrong and he's deeply apologetic for that. I think, in fact, he too will be making contact with Liverpool in order to offer his apologies." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6954211.stm Dropped] from Premiership games for following weekend (25–26 August): report from BBC.co.uk website.]

Birmingham City v. Manchester City, Premier League, 2007-08

In awarding Birmingham City a penalty 13 minutes from time during the Premier League game at St Andrews on March 29 2008, Styles caused many observers in the media to question whether the away side's Sun Jihai had actually fouled home striker Gary McSheffrey in the penalty area, or merely been punished for a legitimate shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, which would ordinarily have brought no sanction whatsoever. [ [http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=550508&in_page_id=1779 Media quotes] - "Sun Jihai's shoulder charge with Gary McSheffrey was not even a foul, let alone a penalty": the Mail on Sunday website. Retrieved on March 30 2008.] [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/30/sfgbir130.xml Media quotes] - "he punished full-back Sun Jihai for being the recipient of a desperate shoulder charge by McSheffrey": the Sunday Telegraph website. Retrieved on March 30 2008.] [http://stats.globesports.com/epl/recap.asp?g=2008032910546 Media quotes] - "Sun Jihai and McSheffrey went shoulder to shoulder chasing the loose ball, referee Styles inexplicably pointed to the penalty spot for a second time": "Globesports.com" website. Retrieved on March 30 2008.] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7309354.stm Media quotes] - "Rob Styles deemed Jihai to have fouled McSheffrey inside the area, even though it looked like the latter was the instigator of a shoulder to shoulder collision": BBC.co.uk website. Retrieved on March 30 2008.]

The Manchester club's boss, Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "We were not helped by the referee. The decision in awarding a penalty against us was, well, wrong."

Even though Birmingham had earlier been reduced to ten men through Franck Queudrue's dismissal for the first penalty, Manchester City went on to lose 3–1. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=548582 Birmingham 3 Man. City 1] , Premier League, 2008: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved on March 30 2008.]

Manchester United Vs. Bolton Wanderers, Premier League, 2008-09

On 27th September 2008 Rob Styles made what manyWho|date=September 2008 would see as a mistake when he awarded a penalty to Manchester United, giving Manchester United the lead at Old Trafford in a Premier League match against Bolton. Jlloyd Samuel made a clean challenge of the ball where Ronaldo went down under impact of the ball and challenge.Fact|date=September 2008 None of the Manchester United players appeared to even appeal for a penalty, yet Rob Styles pointed to the spot.Fact|date=September 2008 TV replays clearly show a legal challenge by the Bolton defender.Fact|date=September 2008 Ronaldo went onto dispatch the penalty and United won the game 2-0. However, the decision to award the penalty changed the game and could have been different if the penalty was not awarded.Dubious|date=September 2008

Career statistics

(There are no available records prior to 1997/1998)

References

External links

* [http://www.soccerbase.com/refs2.sd?refid=177 Rob Styles Referee Statistics] at soccerbase.com
* [http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/04/TheFACupFinal_RobStyles.htm Rob Styles 2005 FA Cup Final interview] at the Football Association
* [http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,4284,1489732,00.html Retrospective] feature on his 2005 FA Cup Final performance, by Guardian Unlimited online