_(cropped_Michael_Salisbury).jpg) Salisbury in 2021 | |||
| Full name | Michael Salisbury | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 1985 (age 39–40) Penwortham,Lancashire, England | ||
| Other occupation | Teacher | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2015–16 | National League | Referee | |
| 2016–21 | English Football League | Referee | |
| 2021– |  Premier League | Referee | |
Michael Salisbury (born 1985) is anEnglish professionalfootballreferee and former teacher who belongs to theSelect Group of Referees in England and officiates in thePremier League.
Salisbury was born inPenwortham in 1985.[1][2] His father, Graham, is a former referee who retired at the end of the at the end of the 2020–21 season,[3] after a 21-year career as anEFL referee.[4][5][6]
Salisbury has two children.[7]
Salisbury is a former PE teacher[8] and previously taught atParklands High School.[5]
Salisbury was introduced to refereeing by his father, Graham, and began his refereeing career in 2001 in the local leagues inPreston.[9] His father retired on the final day of the 2020–21 season, having officiated 588 Football League games,[8] and Salisbury was his fourth official for the game.[9]
Salisbury was involved in his first professional game in 2010 as an Assistant Referee in the EFL.[10] Salisbury began refereeing in theVanarama National League in the2015–16 season before being promoted toLeague 2the following season.[11][12]
Salisbury was thereserve assistant referee for the2016 FA Cup final which took place betweenCrystal Palace andManchester United on 21 May 2016.[13]
On 29 June 2020, Salisbury refereed the2020 EFL League Two play-off final inNorthampton Town's 4–0 win overExeter City.[14][15]
On 3 May 2021, Salisbury refereed the2020 FA Vase final betweenConsett A.F.C. andHebburn Town which was a 3–2 win for Hebburn Town.[16]
Salisbury was promoted to thePremier League as a Referee ahead of the2021–22 season, having previously been an assistant referee in the league.[9] His first Premier League game in charge wasAston Villa's 2–1 win overCrystal Palace atSelhurst Park.[17][18] Both clubs were subsequently charged with misconduct by the FA after both sets of players, unhappy with decisions made by Salisbury in the second half, and failed to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion.[19][20]
On 8 April 2023, Salisbury was theVAR official for aBrighton & Hove Albion's 2–1 defeat toTottenham Hotspur and failed to intervene after refereeStuart Attwell missed a trip byPierre-Emile Højbjerg onKaoru Mitoma in the penalty area when the score was 1–1.[21]PGMOL subsequently offered an apology to Brighton, and Salisbury was dropped from the subsequentPremier League fixtures.[22][23][24]
On 14 August 2023, Salisbury was theVAR official for aManchester United's 1–0 win overWolverhampton Wanderers.[25][26] Manchester United goalkeeperAndré Onana collided with Wolves forwardSasa Kalajdzic in the penalty area during stoppage time and the on-field referee,Simon Hooper, did not award the penalty and Salisbury failed to intervene and award the penalty.[27][28] PGMOL apologised to Wolves ManagerGary O'Neil after the game, and Salisbury along with Hooper and the Assistant VAR were dropped for the subsequent Premier League fixtures.[28][29]
On 27 November 2023, Salisbury refereed Fulham's 3–2 win over Wolves atCraven Cottage, with Salisbury awarding three penalties during the match.[30] Wolves manager Gary O'Neil said after the game that Salisbury admitted that Fulham's first penalty should have been overturned, with O'Neil also stating that he disputed with Salisbury over whetherCarlos Vinícius should have been sent off for a headbutt.[31][32] The Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents Panel found that Salisbury had made two errors during the match in awarding the first penalty to Fulham and not sending Vinícius off.[33] On 31 August 2025, he was dropped from his VAR duties for a match betweenLiverpool andArsenal.[34] It came after when Sailsbury played a controversial role of recommending refereeRobert Jones to disallow a goal from Fulham’sJosh King in the 21st minute.The decision was widely condemned by pundits includingStuart Pearce,Jamie Carragher andRio Ferdinand.[35][36][37][38]
| 2020 EFL League Two play-off final[14] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Score | Venue |
| 29 June 2020 | Exeter City – Northampton Town | 0–4 | Wembley Stadium |
| 2020 FA Vase final[16] | |||
| Date | Match | Venue | |
| 3 May 2021 | Consett –Hebburn Town | 2–3 | Wembley Stadium |
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