English referee demoted to UEFA's third tier as Premier League trails European counterparts

Premier League referee Craig Pawson has been unceremoniously relegated to UEFA's third-tier referee list after a controversial 2023/2024 season.

Pawson has been cast aside by European football's governing body after a series of high-profile blunders that have left fans and pundits up and down the country baying for his blood.

The 45-year-old will now join five of his fellow English officials - Stuart Attwell, Darren England, Jarred Gillett, Rob Jones, and Andy Madley - on UEFA's second-tier list, a humiliating demotion that will no doubt leave the once-highly-rated referee licking his wounds.

The Sheffield-born official hit the headlines earlier this year after controversially ruling out a late Chelsea goal against Aston Villa in April, a decision that left the Blues fuming and their manager Mauricio Pochettino raging on the touchline.

That was just the latest in a string of contentious calls that have blighted Pawson's season, leading UEFA to take the drastic step of relegating him to the third tier of their refereeing hierarchy per an MSN report.

The news will come as a major blow to the Premier League, with the top flight currently boasting just four officials on UEFA's Elite and First lists - a paltry figure compared to other European powerhouses.

Leading the way for England are Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, the only two referees from the UK to make it onto UEFA's elite list.

In contrast, football giants like France, Germany and Italy all have six representatives between the top two tiers.

With Pawson's demotion, the Premier League's refereeing stocks have been further depleted, leaving fans to wonder whether the standard of officiating in England's top flight will continue to lag behind their continental counterparts.