| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Styles | ||
| Born | April 21, 1964 Waterlooville, Hampshire, England |
||
| Other occupation | Judge | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1987–? | Wessex League | Referee | |
| Isthmian League | Referee | ||
| 1996–2000 | The Football League | Referee | |
| 2000–2009 | Premier League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2002–2009 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Robert Styles (born 21 April 1964[1]) is an English football Referee from Waterlooville, Hampshire, who officiates in the FA Premier League, and for FIFA. He has now retired.
Styles 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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[1]
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.[3] He became a FIFA referee in 2002.[1]
He was referee for the 2003 FA Youth Cup Final when Manchester United beat Middlesbrough 3–1.[4] 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.[5]
On 19 August 2007 Styles refereed the Premier League game between Liverpool and Chelsea, where he wrongly awarded a penalty to Chelsea.[6] 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.[6] All sports pundits on the live broadcast and later highlights shows agreed that it was not a penalty.
Proceedings took a bizarre turn when later in the same game, Michael Essien was seemingly booked twice but not sent from the field of play. Styles showed John Terry a yellow card and then, a minute or so later after having clearly 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.[7]
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.[8] 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."[9]
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.[10][11][12][13]
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."[12]
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.[14]
On 27 September 2008, Rob Styles controversially awarded a penalty to Manchester United with scores at nil all, giving United the lead at Old Trafford in a Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers.[15] Jlloyd Samuel made a clean challenge on the ball where Cristiano Ronaldo went down under impact of the ball and challenge.[16] None of the Manchester United players appeared to even appeal for a penalty, yet Styles pointed to the spot.[17] TV replays clearly show a legal challenge by the Bolton defender. Ronaldo went onto dispatch the penalty and United won the game 2-0. Gary Megson described the decision as a "Cataclysmic Cock-up".[18] Styles would later apologise to Bolton for his mistake, but was left to continue officiating the next round of games by the Premier League.[19]
On 20 October 2008, Rob Styles controversially awarded a penalty to Manchester City with scores at nil all, giving City the lead at St. James' Park in a Premier League match against Newcastle United. Habib Beye was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Robinho, though TV replays suggest that it was a legal challenge by the Newcastle defender, as Beye touched the ball before making contact with Robinho.[20][21][22] Robinho went on to dispatch the penalty and the match finished 2-2. The red card was subsequently overturned, by an FA commission convened to rule on the situation, following an appeal from Newcastle United.[23] Styles subsequently faced more criticism following the incident, leading to speculation that he was on the verge of quitting the profession.[24]
On 27 January 2009 Styles took charge of this game, and with the scores 1-0 he wrongly sent off Paul Robinson of WBA who later went on to lose the game.[25] In the following days the red card was overturned by the F.A. Two days later he subsequently retired from refereeing and stated he will not referee again. .[26]
| Season | Games | Total | per game | Total | per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997/1998 | 35 | 151 | 4.31 | 16 | 0.45 |
| 1998/1999 | 40 | 213 | 5.32 | 17 | 0.42 |
| 1999/2000 | 40 | 96 | 2.40 | 10 | 0.25 |
| 2000/2001 | 31 | 98 | 3.16 | 12 | 0.38 |
| 2001/2002 | 28 | 108 | 3.85 | 8 | 0.28 |
| 2002/2003 | 35 | 119 | 3.40 | 13 | 0.37 |
| 2003/2004 | 37 | 123 | 3.32 | 16 | 0.43 |
| 2004/2005 | 41 | 124 | 3.02 | 9 | 0.21 |
| 2005/2006 | 45 | 148 | 3.28 | 5 | 0.11 |
| 2006/2007 | 44 | 143 | 3.25 | 10 | 0.22 |
| 2007/2008 | 34 | 117 | 3.44 | 15 | 0.44 |
| 2008/2009 | 36 | 107 | ? | 7 | ? |
| Preceded by Jeff Winter |
FA Cup Final Referee 2005 |
Succeeded by Alan Wiley |