Which team does Michael Oliver support? EPL referee’s allegiances and background

Michael Oliver is regarded as one of the best officials in the Premier League.

At the age of 25 years and 182 days, he became the youngest referee to officiate a Premier League game in 2010, breaking Stuart Attwell’s record. Oliver joined the Select Group of Referees that same year and has appeared in many high-profile games since then.

As an official who has been involved in crucial fixtures such as the FA Cup final and the UEFA Champions League, Oliver is known for his calm and authoritative approach. There have been many high-pressure situations, controversies, and accomplishments throughout Oliver's officiating career as Mirror Sport take a deep dive into all things professional and personal related to the referee.

Which team does Michael Oliver support?

According to his statements as per  NoGoMania , Oliver supports Newcastle United. He has also hinted that he would avoid officiating games that might have an immediate effect on Newcastle's league position.

He had previously said: "I couldn't referee Villa's game either if Newcastle needed a point to stay in the game and the team they were trying to beat was, say Villa." The Premier League and PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) make sure he doesn’t officiate any Newcastle game to avoid a conflict of interest.

Oliver's net worth

Oliver has a net worth of £1 million as of 2025 per  Sports Brief . His annual earnings are also reported to be over £200,000 according to  RefrSports. Not to mention, he also receives additional income from match fees.

That fee is said to total up to £1,500 every game, excluding his base pay. Oliver’s earnings can also be supplemented when officiating high-profile games like the UEFA Champions League and international tournaments. The details of the referee's assets or worth of properties aren't available on the Internet. Despite officiating popular games, Oliver manages to keep a low-profile in terms of his financial holdings.

His personal life

Oliver was born on February 20, 1985 in Ashington, England. He developed an interest in refereeing from his father, Clive Oliver, who was also a referee. His father officiated in the lower leagues of English football as Oliver learned from him. He followed his father’s footsteps as he went on to start his refereeing career at just 14 years old.

He is married to Lucy Oliver, who has also worked as a football referee in the past. She has been involved in women’s games and men’s non-league games over the years.

Controversial decision in the Champions League

During a Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Juventus in 2018, Oliver awarded a last-minute penalty to the Spanish giants. The choice drew harsh criticism, especially from the Juventus players who angrily confronted the referee after his decision.

Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was particularly vocal in his criticism after the game. "Clearly, you cannot have a heart in your chest—only a garbage bin. On top of that, if you don’t have the character to step onto a pitch like this, in a stadium like this, then you might as well sit in the stands with your wife and kids, drinking Sprite and eating crisps. You cannot ruin the dreams of a team," Buffon said in a television interview.

Following the incident, Oliver and his wife Lucy had to face severe online abuse with intense scrutiny. This controversy of his career is still brought up when talking about the refereeing of important games.