Philip Don

Biographical information

RolesReferee
SexMale
Full namePhilip•Don
Used namePhilip•Don
Born10 March 1952
NOC Great Britain

Biography

Sheffield’s Philip Don retired prematurely from senior refereeing in 1995, when aged just 43, because his work commitment as a school headmaster took priority over his refereeing duties.

Don became a senior referee in 1986 having spent five seasons as a Football League linesman. In 1992 he was added to the FIFA list of referees, and that same year refereed the FA Cup final between Liverpool and Sunderland. He also officiated in two group games at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

In 1994, within two years of becoming a FIFA official, Don had taken charge of the Champions’ League final between AC Milan and Barcelona, and a few months later was the only English referee at the FIFA World Cup finals, and took charge of the quarter-final match between Romania and Sweden.

Having spent three seasons refereeing in the old first division of the Football League, Don took the middle in 59 FA Premier League games between 1992-95. His last major final was the Liverpool versus Bolton Wanderers League Cup Final in 1995. Don later became a referees assessor, head of refereeing at the FA, and referee’s officer for the Premier League. Don’s son Tim was a world junior triathlon champion who competed at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Referee

Games Sport (Discipline) / Event NOC / Team Phase Unit Role As
1992 Summer Olympics Football (Football) GBR Philip Don
Football, Men (Olympic) Match #4 Poland — Italy Referee
Football, Men (Olympic) Match #2 Qatar — Egypt Referee

Olympic family relations