Good riddance! Chelsea fans celebrate Anthony Taylor’s retirement

Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement from elite refereeing after officiating 831 matches across a distinguished career spanning more than two decades.

While the veteran official leaves the game as one of England's most decorated referees, many Chelsea supporters reacted to the news with celebration rather than gratitude.

The 47-year-old's final assignment came at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he took charge of the round-of-16 clash between Portugal and Spain before calling time on his career.

Taylor spent 16 seasons in the Premier League, refereeing 432 top-flight matches and overseeing some of English football's biggest occasions, including two FA Cup finals, a League Cup final, the Community Shield and the Championship play-off final.

Internationally, he served on FIFA's International List for 14 years, officiating at two World Cups, two European Championships and two FIFA Club World Cups. Explaining his decision,

Taylor said refereeing at the highest level had been an immense privilege but admitted the constant pressure and scrutiny made it the right time to move on to the next chapter of his career.

Despite Taylor's impressive résumé, his retirement was greeted with delight by many Chelsea supporters, who have long accused the referee of consistently making decisions against their club.

The relationship between Taylor and the Blues fanbase has been strained for years, particularly after the controversial 2-2 draw against Tottenham in 2022, which prompted a fan petition calling for him never to officiate another Chelsea match.

Social media was flooded with reactions following the retirement announcement, including a six-minute compilation of decisions supporters believed unfairly favoured Chelsea's opponents.

In addition, one fan wrote: "One referee who ruined it entirely for us was Anthony Taylor. As a human being, I would have wished him happy retirement but as a Chelsea fan, I would like to remain silent."

Another posted: "Only Chelsea fans can relate with the massive feeling of relief this gives lol, Anthony Taylor you were a devil!" A third supporter added: "Finally! Anthony Taylor retires after years of dodgy decisions against us... good riddance ref!"

Another recalled an Arsenal match in which Alexis Sanchez handled the ball before scoring, claiming Taylor wrongly allowed the goal to stand. For many Chelsea fans, Taylor's retirement marks the end of one of the Premier League's most controversial referee-club rivalries.