The FA is delighted to hear the news that Howard Webb has been chosen to referee Sunday's World Cup Final between Holland and Spain in Johannesburg.
Not since Jack Taylor 36 years ago has an Englishman refereed at a World Cup Final and Webb will be joined by his Assistants Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey.
Webb, who was in the middle for the 2009 FA Cup Final at Wembley was also handed a high-profile appointment in May as he took charge of the Champions League Final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich in Madrid.
The FA Group General Secretary Alex Horne said the news was great for refereeing in England.
“We are very proud of Howard and his team in achieving this fabulous honour.
"It is a great reflection of the professional refereeing set-up in England and also reflects on the professional way in which the team have managed each of the games they have overseen.
“I know Howard will be rightly proud of this achievement and I hope he enjoys the match on Sunday. It is the pinnacle match of a fabulous tournament and rightly recognises the hard work that Howard, Darren and Mike have put in to preparing for each and every game.”
Mike Riley, general manager of Professional Game Match Officials added: “This is a tremendous achievement for Howard, Mike and Darren to officiate the FIFA World Cup Final, made all the more remarkable given that no other officiating team has been given it on the back of the UEFA Champions League Final in the same season.
“It’s not only recognition for their excellent tournament in South Africa so far but also the progress they have made internationally over the last four years.
"As a team they’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this stage, starting back at the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2007, then Euro 2008 and last year the 2009 Confederations Cup. It’s just rewards for all their efforts.
“Their appointment is fantastic recognition for English refereeing and should act as an inspiration for all young referees wanting to enter into the game. It just shows what you can achieve if you work hard.
"We are extremely proud of Howard, Mike and Darren and I’m certain that they’ll enjoy the occasion.”
David Elleray, Chairman of The FA’s Referee Committee was equal in his praise: “It’s fantastic news that Howard and his team have been appointed to referee the 2010 World Cup Final between Netherlands and Spain on Sunday.
"I had lunch with Howard, Darren and Mike today here in Johannesburg and told them how proud we all were of them, even if they did not get the Final.
"This honour is well deserved and testament to their hard work and efforts both at the World Cup and throughout their careers. This is a terrific boost for refereeing in England and The FA’s Get Into Refereeing campaign.”
The news comes at a time when refereeing figures in England are on the rise. Last season, there was a 45 per cent increase in referees at Level 9, the first step to becoming a fully fledged referee, with 5,197 new recruits. The total of qualified referees has risen by seven per cent to 2009 figures, to 26,692, with female referees up by 13 per cent compared to last year.
New trainee female referees are up six per cent on 2009 figures to 427. The FA's 'Get Into Refereeing' campaign, in association with Carlsberg, has been a huge factor in driving these figures.
The campaign is part of The FA’s National Game Strategy, a £200m investment into grassroots football. If the current growth continues, The FA aim to have over 29,000 registered referees by April 2011, on course to achieve its 2012 target objective of recruiting and retaining 30,000 referees.
For more information on becoming a referee in Merseyside please contact our Referee Development Officer Dave Horlick, on 0151 523 4488 Ext 103.