Former Premier League referee reveals he has Parkinson’s disease as he opens up on struggles with insomnia – and his new role

Former Premier League referee Phil Dowd has opened up on his battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Dowd, 61, enjoyed a distinguished officiating career from 1997 to 2016, which included 15 years in the top flight.

He took charge of several memorable games, including FA and League Cup finals, while also overseeing clashes that involved the likes of Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, Dowd has revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease during Covid-19, which is a condition that affects around 153,000 people in the UK. 

Despite the tragic news, the former official – who first became aware of various symptoms when his wife spotted his arm shaking – remains in the game, working as a refereeing coach.

Dowd enjoyed a superb career from 1997 to 2016, including 15 years as a top flight official

Dowd admitted he didn’t want to believe he had Parkinson’s in the early years of his diagnosis

As part of this he oversees the progress of six officials, including Sunny Singh Gill, who became the first British South Asian referee in the Premier League when he took charge of Crystal Palace vs Luton earlier this month.

Dowd is similarly part of the PGMOL development group, while he has also aimed to raise awareness about and promote the work of Parkinson’s UK, the leading UK charity for people who suffer from the condition.

And Dowd, speaking to The Mirror, opened up on the challenges of his diagnosis, but insisted he continues to maintain a positive outlook on life. 

‘The specialist said to me: “You’ve got Parkinson’s,”‘ he explained. ‘It hit me hard and I just thought: “s***.” I didn’t want to admit that I had it in the first two years after I was diagnosed. 

‘At that stage, you don’t realise all the symptoms because you think you just shake a bit. But there’s so many other symptoms. Insomnia affects me badly. I can find it difficult to get out of the chair at times. Everything slows down. I joke about always being in the centre circle in my last year as a referee!

‘You want to hide it but football has been brilliant to me. I also want to show you can lead a good life and it’s not as bad as people think. I’m still doing stuff. It’s important to be positive and stay active. There’s no cure. It affects people differently.’

Dowd – whose uncle also had Parkinson’s – hailed the support he has received from the likes of PGMOL chief Howard Webb and insisted he is delighted to still be involved in football.

He also hailed the work of PGMOL chief Howard Webb and praised the current crop of referees

As part of his role as a referee coach he oversees six officials, including Sunny Singh Gill

Dowd also went onto hail the current crop of referees, despite the ever-increasing scrutiny officials seem to come under, while he also opened up on his role as a coach.

He added: ‘It’s tougher now. The standards are so much higher. I don’t think I’d live in the modern world of refs. I watch the games, it’s about pointers about what you can do differently, help get them through.

‘There’s so much to come from this group. Howard Webb is pushing the standards up and the game is getting faster, better and more technical. I’ve got no time for anyone who slags off Howard because he’s working so hard and it will take time.’