After putting out plenty of fires, keeping hot-headed footballers in check was never going to ruffle Sam Allison.
On Boxing Day, Allison will become the first black man to officiate a Premier League game in 15 years when he takes charge of Sheffield United’s home game against Luton.
Allison, 42, had played at Swindon, Bristol City, Bournemouth and Exeter before moving down the football pyramid into the semi-professional game.
After considering what to do when he eventually hung up his boots, Allison decided to keep them on for a while longer – but this time with a whistle in hand.
Allison took charge of his first match on a Sunday morning in his home county of Wiltshire, when a few things he had learned along the way helped him get through.
“I was lucky enough that I was able to sell decisions just based on my footballing experience,” Allison recalled in an interview with the English Football League website.
“I remember giving a penalty in the game and it was more of a guess rather than getting in the right position to give the right decision.
“It’s inevitable that having played at a decent standard, you can use that football intelligence to identify foul challenges, people’s intent, movement, anticipate play and look at trigger pass and people’s body movement and shape, and understanding phases of play.
“It just gives you that head start, I believe. And from that point onwards, it was infectious.”
As well as his love for the game, Allison also needed an income to help support the next steps of his referee’s journey.
In 2006, he joined the fire service part-time.
“I had to look at something that would give me the time and flexibility to do both careers,” he said.
“I’ve gone from being totally operational and ‘Fireman Sam’ getting out there fighting fires and wearing breathing apparatus and doing water rescue and rope rescue, to progressing as a station manager.”
Supported by the likes of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and Football Association, Allison has been able to go on to take charge of more than 100 matches in the EFL.
A first Premier League exposure came in October 2022, when Allison was fourth official in the fixture between Brighton and Chelsea.
Uriah Rennie was the last black referee to take charge of a Premier League game in 2008 having officiated in the competition for 11 years up to that point.
Allison hopes the Boxing Day fixture will be the start of his own lengthy stint as a top-flight referee.
“I don’t hide that I want to reach the top,” he said.
“I want to be a role model within my community and show representation as a black man in football and being a referee at the same time. My desire has to be to reach the top just to show people that you can do it.
“Pressure comes with it, but when you are fighting fires and saving lives, that is a pressure situation.
“Having that visibility is key, but at the same time, you have to have ability, desire, work hard and take the opportunities when they come forward.”
Klopp reflects on 'special' Liverpool stint as tenure draws to a close
Jurgen Klopp reflected on his "special" stint in charge of Liverpool ahead of his final game on Sunday.
Klopp will manage Liverpool for the last time when the Reds take on Wolves in their final Premier League match of the season.
Having taken over in 2015, Klopp has led Liverpool to their maiden Premier League title, a Champions League crown, the FA Cup, multiple EFL Cups, as well as the Super Cup and Club World Cup titles.
While this season's Premier League title challenge ultimately fizzled out, Klopp used his programme notes to laud his players and staff for their efforts.
He wrote: "If space allowed I could write name after name of people who I need to thank but there has never been a match programme of this size, so I will have to be more general. I could not be more appreciative of the players past and present who have served this club in the nine years that I have been here.
"What they have achieved in that time is special, not just in terms of the moments they have created and the success they have had, but also in the way they have underlined what it is to represent LFC.
"This will be the final time that we will see two of them – Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara – at Anfield and I know they will be given the send-off that they deserve.
"You do not need me to tell you what they have achieved as individuals, you have experienced it all at first hand and as with others who have left us in recent seasons, they have more than made their mark on this club during a period which I think has been memorable for all of us.
"This will also be the end of an era for several members of our coaching and backroom staff who will also move on. To put it simply, I could not have more appreciation for the work that has been done by Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz, Vitor Matos, John Achterberg, Jack Robinson, Andreas Kornmayer, Andreas Schlumberger and Ray Haughan.
"The big positive for Liverpool is that no matter who is leaving, the club is still in a very, very good place. This season we aimed for the moon and ended up in the stars which is never too bad and the players and staff who are remaining are top, top class.
"Yes, they will have new leadership before too long but this is a club that is ready to take the journey in a new and exciting direction, not one that is ready for the journey to come to an end."
Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he would be replacing Klopp.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah is set to make his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool in this match. The Egyptian already has the second-highest combined goals and assists tally by any player in their first 250 appearances for a single club in the competition (223 – 155 goals, 68 assists), behind only Thierry Henry for Arsenal (243 – 171 goals, 72 assists).
Wolves - Hwang Hee-chan
No Wolves player has scored more Premier League goals this season than Hwang Hee-chan (12). He gave his side the lead in the reverse fixture against Liverpool at Molineux – the last Wolves player to score home and away against the Reds in a league campaign was John Richards in 1972-73.
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League home games. They last had a longer run without a league clean sheet at home between January and November 1954, a run of 17 games that included relegation to the second division.
Between Christmas Eve and March 9, only the current top three sides earned more points in the Premier League than Wolves (22 – W7 D1 L3). Since then, only Sheffield United (two) have won fewer points than Gary O’Neil's side (five), with Wolves winning just one of their last nine (D2 L6).
Wolves have lost eight and won just one of their nine Premier League games on MD38. Their win rate of 11 per cent on the final day is the lowest of any side currently in the competition, while their current run of losing seven consecutive such games is the joint-longest in English top-flight history.
Liverpool have won 13 of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Wolves, with the exception being a 3-0 loss at Molineux in February last season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Liverpool - 65.6%
Wolves - 12.7%
Draw - 21.7%
Man City star Foden scoops Premier League Player of the Year award
Phil Foden has been named the Premier League's Player of the Year, having been sensational for Manchester City this season.
Foden has scored 17 goals and provided a further eight assists in the top flight in 2023-24.
The 23-year-old has been pivotal in City's quest to win an unprecedented fourth Premier League title.
Pep Guaridola's team head into their final game of the season, in which they face West Ham at home, needing a win to guarantee the crown.
Only six players have bettered Foden's goal tally, with the attacker enjoying his most profitable scoring season for City.
Foden's 17 goals have come from an expected goals figure of 10, suggesting his finishing has been way above what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances he has had.
The England international, meanwhile, has had 99 shots, and leads City's squad for chances created (68).
"To win this award is an achievement that I am extremely proud of," Foden told Man City's official website.
"Overall, I've been very happy with the way I have played this season and really pleased that I have been able to contribute with the goals and assists throughout the season.
"I'd like to thank all of the City staff, coaches and especially my teammates because without them this wouldn’t be possible.
"And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for me as the award means a lot."
It is the fifth season in a row that a City player has won the award, with Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20, 2021-22), Ruben Dias (2020-21) and Erling Haaland (2022-23) having scooped it previously.
Elneny to leave Arsenal following eight-year stint
Mohamed Elneny has confirmed he will be leaving Arsenal after the Gunners' final game of the season.
Elneny is Arsenal's longest-serving player, having joined the Gunners from Swiss side FC Basel in January 2016.
Signed by Arsene Wenger, the Egypt international has played under three managers, having also appeared for Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.
On Friday, the midfielder confirmed via a video on X (formerly Twitter) that his stint in north London was coming to an end.
"Gooners, I'm here today to send you a message, to say goodbye and thank you for everything you've done for me," Elneny said in a video posted on X on Friday.
"The love, the support and the kindness. I'm really going to miss you so much and you'll be in my heart forever."
Elneny has played 161 times for the Gunners, who face Everton at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Arteta's team need to win if they are stand a chance of beating Manchester City to the Premier League trophy.
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