Kevin Friend (born 8 July 1971) is a former professional football referee from England. He is a member of the Leicestershire and Rutland County Football Association and was a member of the Select Group of Referees, officiating in the Premier League and other top-level competitions from 2009 until his retirement at the end of the 2021–22 season.
Early Life and Career
Friend was born in Bristol, England, and began refereeing at the age of 14 in his home county of Leicestershire. He officiated in the Leicestershire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance before being promoted to the National List of Referees. He was later elevated to the Select Group of Referees ahead of the 2009–10 season.
Friend made his Premier League debut on 20 September 2009, taking charge of a 2–1 victory for Wolverhampton Wanderers over Fulham. He issued his first Premier League red card on 15 December 2009 to Sunderland captain Lorik Cana for a second bookable offence in a 2–0 defeat to Aston Villa.
Major Appointments
Friend officiated several high-profile finals and matches:
- 2009 FA Vase Final: Refereed at Wembley Stadium on 10 May 2009 between Whitley Bay and Glossop North End, won 2–0 by Whitley Bay.
- 2012 FA Community Shield: Took charge of the match on 12 August 2012 at Villa Park between Chelsea and Manchester City, which Manchester City won 3–2. Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović was sent off in the first half.
- 2013 League Cup Final: Refereed the final at Wembley Stadium on 24 February 2013 between Bradford City and Swansea City. Swansea won 5–0. Friend dismissed Bradford goalkeeper Matt Duke for a professional foul and awarded Swansea a penalty, which was converted by Jonathan de Guzmán.
- 2019 FA Cup Final: Refereed the final at Wembley Stadium on 18 May 2019 between Manchester City and Watford. Manchester City won 6–0.
Controversy
In 2016, Friend was controversially removed from officiating a Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur. The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) stated that, because Friend was a known supporter of Leicester City (who were Tottenham's closest title challengers at the time), "the timing and context" of the fixture led to the decision to replace him. Friend was not appointed to matches involving Leicester City as a matter of policy due to his personal support for the club.
Post-Retirement
At the end of the 2021–22 season, Friend retired from on-field officiating and transitioned to a role as Manager of the Select Group 2 referees at PGMOL, overseeing the development of referees in the English Football League.
Education
Friend earned a Master's degree in Sports Studies from the University of Gloucestershire, completed between 2012 and 2016.
