Howard’s way could boost the game

One of the few Englishmen to shine on football’s global stage in recent years has headed behind the curtains.

After 25 years of refereeing, Howard Webb surprised the football world when he announced he was putting away his whistle, cards and notebook.

But he leaves having officiated in all of football’s biggest matches, including the Champions League Final and World Cup Final, both in 2010.

Few Englishmen in football can say they’ve reached those heights.

Like all top performers, Webb has a real sense of timing, as he steps down with people wishing he could have stayed on longer.

His last match was the explosive World Cup clash between hosts Brazil and Chile, in which he got all the big decisions spot on.

At 43, the man from South Yorkshire could have done two more years on the FIFA elite list, while there is no age limit in the Premier League.

Colleagues Chris Foy and Phil Dowd are both in their fifties, so Webb wouldn’t have felt too old in that company.

But he now takes up the newly-created role of Technical Director of the Professional Game Match Officials Board.

His new job will have him overseeing the technical direction and standard for match officials. In simple terms, he’ll be telling referees what to do and what not to do.

Being an official has never been harder. The pace of the game is relentless for 90 minutes, while players are only too happy to bend the rules to their advantage.

And super slow-mo cameras in the stands can pick up mistakes almost impossible for the human eye to see.

Yet we expect perfection from a referee. That is the barometer by which they are judged.

That’s where Webb can help as he will be a public face as much as anything in his new role. He can explain on TV or radio the thought processes behind an official’s decision.

So many calls in football are subjective and will never be agreed upon. But what frustrates people is silence.

Listening to Webb talk through a controversial incident would be really beneficial for fans and TV viewers.

His new role won’t eliminate mistakes they will remain part and parcel of football ad infinitum but a new level of tolerance towards the ref would be a great start.