English officials get FIFA U17 World Cup call-up for Chile

Thursday 27 Aug 2015
Michael Oliver will be refereeing at the U17 World Cup in Chile this October
English referee Michael Oliver and assistants Stuart Burt and Gary Beswick have been selected by FIFA to take part in the forthcoming U17 World Cup in Chile.

The Premier League officials are among the 21 referees and 42 assistant referees from 33 different countries to be picked for the tournament in South America.

Taking place between 17 October and 8 November at venues in in the cities of Chillán, Concepción, Coquimbo, La Serena, Puerto Montt, Santiago de Chile, Talca and Viña del Mar, the appointment is the latest boost for English officials

They will be joined in Chile by the England U17s squad, who qualified for the World Cup after their performance in last season’s European Championship, where they reached the quarter final in Bulgaria.

Speaking about the news, The FA’s Referee Committee Chairman David Elleray said: "The appointment of Michael, Stuart and Gary to the FIFA U17 World Cup Finals in Chile is another excellent achievement for English officials and shows once again how highly FIFA regard our referees and assistants. 

"There is little doubt that Michael Oliver is one of the best young referees this country has ever produced and, along with Stuart and Gary, I am sure that he will prepare in the most professional way and will deliver a series of excellent performances when in Chile. 

"The reputation of English football is regularly enhanced by the appointment of our match officials to the most important matches and competitions in the world and everyone at The FA will continue to support and appreciate what English match officials do."

Neil Dewsnip’s squad have been drawn out to face Brazil, South Korea and Guinea in their group stage at the competition.

They will play two games in Coqimbo and one in La Serena.

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By Nicholas Veevers Content Manager - FA Owned Channels