Anthony Taylor interview: Former Premier League referee on impact of abuse and future of VAR

England's most senior referee says fans, the media, players and former referees need to "look at themselves" and stop the ritualistic abuse of match officials which is too often "unacceptable", warning it could cause the trickle of talent for the future to dry up.

Anthony Taylor also says he feels VAR has become too "microscopic" and, even though it has led to more correct decisions on the field, everyone in football has unrealistic targets for it. He says forever chasing a correct decision is "a utopia which doesn't exist".

In his first interview since he retired, inside the offices of his lawyers Trinity Chambers in Kent, the 47-year-old opens up about his career, his fears that the toxic abuse suffered by referees is becoming intolerable, and why the football community has to make a choice when it comes to the future of VAR.

Taylor retired three weeks ago, after 831 professional matches as a referee in which he officiated at two World Cups, two European Championships, major European club finals and every major domestic cup final.

• Referee Anthony Taylor retires

Last month, he was centre stage for the World Cup last-16 game between the soon-to-be world champions Spain and Portugal in Dallas. But for the first time in a decade and a half, he isn't with the rest of the elite Premier League referees at their pre-season preparation camp. He admits that's left him "tinged with a degree of sadness".

Taylor is adamant that his decision to retire was not because of the abuse and criticism he has received during 16 years at the top. But he does admit the scrutiny takes a painful toll. Not just for him, but for all English referees.

"The true measure of a top level official is not ability or the size of games you've taken charge of - it is longevity. Durability. Resilience," he tells Sky Sports News. "A player who plays in the Premier League has to be a good player to play there and the same applies to a referee. We are usually a figure of hate and blamed for a lot of things during a season. In my eyes, that longevity is the truest measure of being a top official."

Taylor's family stopped going to games a few years ago after they were caught up in a confrontation with irate Roma fans at Budapest airport, who abused the English referee after he oversaw their defeat in the Europa League final.

"All of that outspoken abuse, from keyboard warriors and from people inside and outside the stadium - and from commentators and pundits at times - they need to actually think about what they are saying at that moment. They have a responsibility to think about what they are saying. The kind of abuse and disrespect which crosses the line from having a fair opinion (that they are fully entitled to) into abuse is just unacceptable.

"The challenges that referees face at the top level and at grassroots are very similar: you have a lot of fear, about making mistakes, about what people think.

"But definitely, [the abuse] is a big concern. There's a thirst for controversy and to always decide if this decision is right or wrong. And people need to accept that simply asking if this is right or wrong is a utopia that doesn't exist.

"When we are talking about how abuse impacts lower down, I struggle to comprehend when there's an adult who's a coach of a junior team, or a spectator of that junior team, who thinks it is acceptable to verbally abuse a referee who is under the age of 18. And let's be honest, these individuals do it to the young players as well.

"In reality, that's not acceptable. And yes, that does impact on young people wanting to come into the game, because that's what we want.

"External opinion from the media, from players, managers, spectators - that has a major impact on referees, especially young referees who are just learning their trade, like young players do, on the pitch. But then also we have the focus on the obsession about whether a decision is right or wrong. Where in reality, in football, which is based on opinions, between right and wrong there is a huge grey area of subjectivity, which people seem to forget."

"Wild conspiracy theories"

Taylor has been accused in the past by some groups of rival supporters that he has favoured Manchester United in his decision-making. That is something he refutes entirely and says it is disrespectful and ridiculous to suggest he, or any other top English referee, is biased.

"The most frustrating part is how factually inaccurate people choose to be. It's rife with wild conspiracy theories.

"People need to take a step back and really think about what they're saying, what they're writing, and how that impacts on things going forward. Undoubtedly, to stay at the top level for so long, you've got to develop your own brand of resilience."

Taylor thinks measures introduced by the FA, Premier League and EFL have improved player behaviour around match officials, which should be welcomed.

"Initiatives over the years have all had an impact to some degree. We got to a point a few years ago where it was a major tactic of some teams to try to intimidate the referee, maybe with the aim of getting the next decision. In reality, that approach doesn't work. So, any initiative which tries to limit the abuse and intimidation of match officials has to be a good thing."

The future of VAR

When it comes to VAR, Taylor is clearly a fan. He says in the latter stages of his career, it meant he didn't dwell on situations where he might have got a big decision wrong, and he points out that the statistics show it is fulfilling its primary function, by getting more decisions right.

"It has been factually proven that we have more correct decisions in the game," he says. "Now, what people over time have seemed to forget is that the VAR and technology will not turn a subjective decision into an objective decision. That's not what technology does. And we have the technology, but at the end of the day, we still have human input to interpret frameworks and guidelines to reach the final decision. But the important thing is - it will not turn subjective into objective."

However, he shares the Premier League belief that the scope of VAR should be limited, with no further VAR "creep" into more and more aspects of the game. At the World Cup in the summer, VAR had been expanded so that its scope included corner kicks. That will not be an expansion in this season's Premier League.

"I think it's also widely accepted that, in recent times, maybe it's gone too microscopic at times," says Taylor. "Maybe we're spending too long looking for things that don't exist. And that's then obviously led to longer delays in reviews, longer time referees being at the monitor, and that's undermined trust and confidence in the system. So that's something that obviously needs to be considered.

"And, moving forward into the new season, the Premier League have always maintained the ethos of a higher threshold for intervening in situations."

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Taylor has already begun his new role as head of referees for the Turkish Football Federation, though he says dealing with their historical issues of betting among match officials is not part of his remit.

"The federation in Turkey, the president, have a clear plan how to to go about improving and moving on from those situations and so I can assist that by doing my job and focusing on how I make the elite referees over in Turkey improve.

"I really want to focus on leading and inspiring the group of elite referees over there, to become better referees, to become better people, because all that is linked together, and to hopefully improve standards on the field. That's really an exciting challenge for me."

Alongside the new role, Taylor will also continue his charity work in the UK. As a former prison officer, he will continue working with the Twinning Project, which helps prisoners close to release use football as a vehicle for reintegration into society, and 'Prison! Me! No way!' which works with teenagers to help them avoid prison by making better life choices.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Anthony Taylor interview: Former Premier League referee on impact of abuse and future of VAR