Phil Dowd

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Philip Dowd, born on 26 January 1963 in Leek, Staffordshire, is a retired English football referee who mainly officiated in the Premier League. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, he was part of the Staffordshire Football Association.

Dowd began refereeing in local leagues in 1984, rising through the Staffordshire Senior League and the Midland Football Alliance. He joined the Football League as an assistant referee in 1992, became a league referee in 1997, and was promoted to the Premier League referees list in 2001. His first Premier League match was Fulham versus Everton in December 2001.

As a Select Group Referee, Dowd officiated several major finals, including the 2010 League Cup Final (Manchester United vs Aston Villa), the 2011 FA Community Shield (Manchester City vs Manchester United), and the 2012 FA Cup Final (Chelsea vs Liverpool). He also served as the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup Final.

Notable moments from his career include sending off Wayne Rooney in 2009 for a second yellow card after Rooney threw the ball at him, and a 2011 Newcastle United vs Arsenal game famous for a comeback from 0-4 down, in which Dowd sent off Abou Diaby for violent conduct. In December 2011, he sent off Conor Sammon of Wigan in a 5-0 defeat to Manchester United, a decision later overturned on appeal.

Dowd missed the 2015–16 season due to injury and later retired. Among the highlights of his career were officiating the 2010 League Cup Final and the 2012 FA Cup Final.