Paul Tierney (referee)


Paul Tierney is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the English Premier League. He first officiated in the Premier League on 30 August 2014. Tierney was promoted to the FIFA list of Referees on 1 January 2018.
His first experience of a Premier League match in the middle came in the 2014/15 campaign when he was in charge of Swansea City versus West Bromwich Albion at the Liberty Stadium on 30 August 2014.
Tierney got a taste of officiating in the Premier League in the 2008/09 season when he was an assistant referee for the match at St. James' Park between Newcastle United and Hull City.
The Lancashire FA official then became a member of the National Group of Referees ahead of the 2009/10 campaign, with Macclesfield Town against Notts County on the opening weekend of the League Two season being the first fixture he refereed.
His career highlights include taking charge of the 2014 League Two Play-off Semi-final second leg between Southend United and Burton Albion, and in the same season he officiated the Football League Trophy Southern Final second leg between Peterborough United and Swindon Town.
Two years later, Tierney was in the middle for another League Two Play-off Semi-final second leg - Plymouth Argyle versus Portsmouth.
Tierney also boasts two Wembley appearances on his CV as he was the assistant referee in Chelsea's 2009 FA Cup Semi-final victory over Arsenal, and the fourth official in the 2014 FA Vase Final between Sholing and West Auckland Town.
He made his third appearance at Wembley 27 May 2019, when he officiated the Championship play-off final between Aston Villa and Derby County.
Tierney is also the step-father of professional rugby league player Lewis Tierney who currently plays for Catalans Dragons in Super League.