Mark Clattenburg facts for kids
Clattenburg in 2016
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| Born | 13 March 1975 Consett, England |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1993–1994 | Northern League | Assistant referee | |
| 1994–1999 | Northern League | Referee | |
| 1999–2000 | Football Conference | Referee | |
| 1999–2000 | The Football League | Assistant referee | |
| 2000–2004 | The Football League | Referee | |
| 2004–2017 | Premier League | Referee | |
| 2024– | Gladiators UK | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2006–2017 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Mark Clattenburg (born 13 March 1975) is a famous English former football referee. He was once a top referee in the Premier League and for FIFA, which is the international football organization.
Mark Clattenburg is known for refereeing some really big matches. These include the 2016 UEFA Champions League final and the Euro 2016 Final. Many people think he was one of the best European referees of his time.
Since 2024, Clattenburg has also been the main referee on the TV show Gladiators in the UK.
Contents
Mark Clattenburg's Journey in Refereeing
Starting Out as a Referee
Mark Clattenburg was born in Consett, County Durham, England. He started refereeing in 1990 when he was just 15 years old. This was part of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award program. By the age of 18, he was an assistant referee in the Northern League. Later, he became a referee in that same league.
He quickly moved up the ranks. In 1999, he became a referee for the Football Conference and an assistant referee for The Football League. He was promoted to a Football League referee in 2000. This was very fast, as he had only been an assistant for one year! His first Football League match was on 12 August 2000, when he was only 25. It was a game between Chesterfield and York City.
Clattenburg also worked as a fourth official for important play-off finals in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, he became a Select Group referee in the Premier League. His first Premier League match was on 21 August 2004, between Everton and Crystal Palace.
Becoming a Professional Referee
In 2006, when he was 30, Mark Clattenburg became a FIFA referee. This meant he could referee international matches. He even refereed a special game for football legend Alan Shearer in 2006. Since Clattenburg is a big fan of Newcastle United, he doesn't referee their competitive games.
He started refereeing UEFA Champions League matches in 2008. His first Champions League game was a big 5–0 win for Fenerbahçe against MTK Budapest.
A Brief Break and Return
In 2008, Clattenburg had a temporary break from refereeing due to a personal matter. He was later reinstated as a Select Group referee in February 2009. He returned to refereeing Premier League matches at the end of that season.
Big Matches and Olympic Games
Clattenburg was a fourth official for a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in 2009. He also refereed qualifying games for the Euro Championship.
A big moment for him was refereeing the 2012 Football League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. This match was between Liverpool and Cardiff City. Liverpool won after a penalty shoot-out.
He was also chosen to be a referee for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He refereed several matches, including the gold medal match between Brazil and Mexico at Wembley Stadium.
In October 2012, there was a complaint made against Clattenburg after a match between Chelsea and Manchester United. However, after an investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing. He returned to refereeing later that year and was welcomed back by fans and managers.
Later Career Highlights
Clattenburg refereed the 2013 FA Community Shield match between Wigan Athletic and Manchester United.
In 2016, he had an amazing year, refereeing three major finals:
- The 2016 FA Cup Final between Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
- The 2016 UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
- The UEFA Euro 2016 Final between Portugal and France.
This made him one of the few referees to officiate all three major finals in one year!
Moving On from the Premier League
In February 2017, Mark Clattenburg left his role as a Premier League referee. He took on a new job as the Head of Refereeing for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
Later, in 2019, he was hired by the CFA to be one of their professional referees. He also became an ambassador and Head Referee for Leisure Leagues, which organizes small-sided football games. He even refereed the final of the 6-a-side World Cup in 2019.
In August 2022, he became the president of the Egyptian Referees Committee. He left this role in January 2023. In February 2024, he briefly worked for Nottingham Forest as a referee analyst.
Famous Matches Mark Clattenburg Refereed
Here are some of the most important matches Mark Clattenburg refereed:
- 2012 Football League Cup final
- 2012 Olympics men's final
- 2013 FA Community Shield
- 2016 FA Cup final
- 2016 UEFA Champions League final
- UEFA Euro 2016 final
- 2022 Sidemen Charity Match
- 2023 Sidemen Charity Match
- 2025 Sidemen Charity Match
Refereeing Statistics
Mark Clattenburg refereed many games throughout his career. He oversaw 297 Premier League matches, 37 FA Cup games, and 28 Champions League matches. He also refereed in European Championships and at the Olympics.
Work in Media
Mark Clattenburg has also worked in media. He joined the ESPN commentary team for Euro 2020 as an expert on refereeing and VAR. He also covers MLS and USMNT games for ESPN.
He has refereed several charity football matches, including the Sidemen Charity Matches in 2022, 2023, and 2025, and some Soccer Aid matches.
As mentioned, he is also the main referee for the 2024 TV show Gladiators.
Personal Life
Mark Clattenburg went to Cramlington Community High School. He played football for his school and for South Northumberland. He has one son.
See also
In Spanish: Mark Clattenburg para niños
- List of football referees
