Sheffield & Hallamshire County Football Association
Premier League Debut Match
02 March 2013: Swansea City v Newcastle United
Referee Bio
Craig Pawson made his Premier League debut when he was in charge of Swansea City's clash with Newcastle United on 2 March 2013.
Pawson has been a referee since 1993, working his way up the Football League ladder since the 2008/09 campaign.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire FA referee was then placed in the Select Group of Premier League officials from the 2013/14 season.
Prior to his promotion, the Yorkshire-based official took charge of more than 40 Championship matches and the 2012 League Two Play-Off Final, which saw Crewe Alexandra beat Cheltenham Town 2-0 at Wembley.
Pawson was also in the middle for the all-Premier League match-up between West Ham United and Wigan Athletic in the League Cup during the 2012/13 campaign.
In 2015, Pawson became the seventh referee from England to be selected on the FIFA International Referee List, allowing him to officiate in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and international fixtures.
The Yorkshireman was the fourth official for the 2015 League Cup Final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and then fulfilled the same position for Arsenal's FA Cup Final victory over Aston Villa later in the year.
Three years after fulfilling fourth official duties, Pawson was the referee in the 2018 League Cup final between Manchester City and Arsenal.
