The Australian is set to write his name into the annals of English football by doing something that hasn’t happened before
The Premier League encounter between Watford and Newcastle United at Vicarage Road on September 25 sees more spotlight than usual shone on the man in the middle.
Ordinarily, referees do their best not to become the story, but when he takes to the pitch for the game between the Hornets and the Magpies, Jarred Gillett won’t be able to avoid it.
So who is he and how is he making Premier League history? Goal brings you everything you need to know.
Who is Jarred Gillett?
Jarred Gillett is a football referee who hails from Australia.
Born on November 1, 1986, Gillett is a highly regarded official and has taken charge of games in his native country as well as the United Kingdom.
He spent nine years working as an official in the A-League, which is the highest football competition in Australia, before making the move to England, where he worked for the English Football League (EFL).
Gillett has officiated games in League Two, League One, the Championship and the EFL (Carabao) Cup.
He was promoted to the top referee panel in the UK – the Select Group – by PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Having refereed a number of A-League finals matches during his time in Australia, Gillett has also found himself tasked with running the rule over big games in England.
For example, he presided over the second leg of the 2020-21 Championship play-off semi-final between Brentford and Bournemouth.
Gillett was not cowed by the occasion and showed his ability to make big calls when he awarded a penalty to Brentford before sending off Bournemouth player Chris Mepham.
Match official appointments for #PL Matchweek 6 (Sep 25-27) have been confirmed
🇦🇺 Jared Gillett will take charge of his first #PL match making him the first overseas referee to do so
➡️ https://t.co/LWxow6gW0o pic.twitter.com/swJXEDF4Ci
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 20, 2021
Why has Jarred Gillett made history?
Jarred Gillett enters the history books as the first ever overseas referee to take charge of a Premier League game when he blows the whistle at Vicarage Road.
It is not the first time he has been involved in a Premier League fixture, however, having worked behind the scenes as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the competition.
Gillett’s assistants for the game are Lee Betts and Constantine Hatzidakis on the line, with Martin Atkinson as the fourth official. The VAR officials will be Craig Pawson and Marc Perry.
While Gillett will go down in the history books as the first overseas referee in the Premier League, it should be pointed out that former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher hails from Ireland.
Gallagher was born in Dublin, but served as a representative of the English Football Association, working in the Premier League from 1992 until 2006. Prior to that point, he had also worked in the Football League.
How much are Premier League referees paid?
Premier League referees are salaried and can earn as much as £70,000 per year. They get paid a regular wage with match fees on top of that.
The officials in the English top flight are paid a basic yearly retainer of between £38,500 and £42,000 based on their experience, and they are then paid £1,150 per match on top of that.
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