The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has confirmed that three Premier League officials have stepped away from the game. Referee Darren Bond and assistant referees Natalie Aspinall and Marc Perry have all ended their careers following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season.
In addition, referee Jeremy Simpson and assistant referee Mark Russell have retired from Championship duty, while referee Cristiana Hattersley has hung up her whistle after serving in the WSL.
Darren Bond's Career Highlights
Bond's departure was confirmed after he had not taken charge of a single Premier League fixture since Arsenal's 2-1 victory at Southampton on the final day of the 2024/25 campaign. However, the news of his retirement was only made official via the PGMOL's X account on Thursday.
The organisation stated: "We thank each of them for their years of dedication, professionalism and commitment to the game."
Bond made his Premier League bow on January 3, 2023, overseeing Fulham's 1-0 away triumph over Leicester City. The 48-year-old is a Wigan Athletic fan — a fact that has always prevented him from officiating their matches.
World Cup Focus
Attention in officiating circles is currently firmly fixed on this summer's World Cup. High-profile Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are among those handpicked by FIFA from England.
Oliver will make his return to duty this week having been compelled to withdraw from his initial scheduled fixture due to injury. The English official was set to take charge of the encounter between Ecuador and the Ivory Coast in the early hours of Monday morning, but was replaced by French referee Francois Letexier.
It seems the injury was not particularly serious, with FIFA confirming he would be back in contention for selection 'in the coming days'. That has now been confirmed, with the announcement that he will officiate the Group F meeting between the Netherlands and Sweden on Saturday (6pm kick-off).
The match will be staged at Houston Stadium in Houston, USA. He will be supported by fellow Premier League officials Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring. South African officials Abongile Tom and Zakhele Siwela will act as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee.
This is not Oliver's maiden appearance at a World Cup, having been appointed to the 2022 tournament in Qatar. At that competition, he presided over the quarter-final showdown between Croatia and Brazil. Oliver has held international referee status since 2012 and has been part of UEFA's elite group of officials since 2018.
