Former Premier League referee on Parkinson's battle, football's response and his new role – The Mirror
Former Premier League referee Phil Dowd retired at the end of the 2015/16 season and after going face-to-face with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, now has another challenge on his hands
Phil Dowd went toe-to-toe with some of football’s biggest names.
Former Premier League referee Dowd, 61, took charge of memorable matches involving the likes of Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. And Dowd is now ready for an even bigger challenge but is determined to show that life does not end with diagnosis as he battles Parkinson’s in a positive way.
Dowd admits that he did not want to confront the truth for the first two years since he was told that he had the condition which affects the nervous system. Incredibly, around 153,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with the disease which is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world.
But Dowd is determined to provide a positive message with football still at the heart of his life as he is part of the PGMOL development group and helps to coach and look after six officials, including current top flight referee Sunny Singh Gill.
Dowd still drives to games, spends hours on his computer and his phone to guide and coach the officials – the other five are Aji Ajibola, Kirsty Dowle, Tom Parsons, Declan Brown and Abi Byrne – under his tutelage. He has also thrown himself into raising awareness and promoting the work done by Parkinson’s UK.
The self-confessed football nut first became aware of his Parkinson’s symptoms when his wife spotted his left arm shaking which also happened when he was playing golf. His uncle had it and that maybe put him on alert.
Dowd said: “ Football gets me up in the morning now. That’s what gets me going and it’s important to have that. It started when my wife saw my left arm shaking and I got checked. I got diagnosed during Covid times and the specialist said to me: ‘You’ve got Parkinson’s.’ It hit me hard and I just thought: ’s***.’
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“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. You want to hide it but football has been brilliant to me. Howard Webb has been so supportive as has Wayne Allison at the PGMOL
“I was given tablets which help a lot. Exercise is really important. I have to take my driving test every three years but I still drive. The other things which impact you are stiff muscles but I play golf and you just have to adapt.
“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!
“I never get up to to buy a pint now – so it helps me in some ways! I don’t drink but I can’t carry a tray full of beers or a bowl of soup. But generally, it doesn’t stop you doing things, it just takes longer and can be much harder to do basic things like getting dressed.
“I want to put something back into society and we’ve got some golf days, there’s a walking football tournament. I want to help highlight it in the next couple of years.
“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 and I’m still grateful the PGMOL want me to work in my role and that has really helped me. It’s important to be positive and stay active. There’s no cure. It affects people differently. I can probably jog better than I can walk.”
Dowd was always a big character on the pitch and he is not about to change now. He has embraced his new life with the PGMOL and working with the officials. The spotlight has never been greater on officials which probably highlights more mistakes and yet Dowd firmly believes that standards have never been higher.
Furthermore, the support network for referees is huge. From a psychologist, fitness coaches and 15 analysts who can offer insights into how teams set up so referees can be prepared for whatever the challenge
Dowd said: “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.
“You can see so much, like with decision-making, positioning and also build up confidence if you have made a mistake. Try to improve on every game to make sure you are the best. There’s so much to come from this group. Sunny is superb.
“ 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.”
Parkinson's UK is here to support everyone affected by the condition. Funding research into the most promising treatments, getting closer to a cure every day. Fighting for fair treatment and better services.
Further information, advice and support is available on their website, www.parkinsons.org.uk or their free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.
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