Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United
Premier League, Amex Stadium, Saturday 26 April 2025, 3pm BST
Referee: Darren England
Assistant Referees: Ian Hussin and Akil Howson
Fourth Official: Simon Hooper
VAR: Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes
Darren England will referee West Ham United’s Premier League away fixture at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 26 April.
The 39-year-old has been part of Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) Select Group One since the start of the 2020/21 season.
This weekend’s visit to East Sussex will mark the eighth occasion England has been the man in the middle for a West Ham fixture.
The first was an EFL Cup defeat at Everton in September 2020, while the most recent was the 1-0 home Premier League defeat to Brentford in February 2025.
England has also acted as fourth official for ten Premier League matches involving the Hammers, and Video Assistant Referee for five, including four this season.
Previously, Doncaster-born England has also refereed the 2017 EFL League Two Play-Off final between Blackpool and Exeter City, in the EFL Championship, FA Cup, EFL Cup and in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying.
England will be assisted by Ian Hussin and Akil Howson.
Both possess extensive experience in the Premier League, with Hussin serving as a top-flight assistant referee since the 2014/15 campaign, and having worked at 19 matches in the division so far this season, including both of the Hammers' meetings against Crystal Palace this campaign and the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in December.
Howson, meanwhile, was promoted to Select Group One in 2023 and was the first person of Black, Asian or mixed heritage to be a permanent official in the English top flight in 15 years.
He last performed assistant referee duties at a West Ham game alongside England in the aforementioned 1-0 defeat to Brentford in February. He has served as assistant for nine West Ham games, in total.
Saturday's fourth official is Simon Hooper. He was promoted to the Select Group of Referees in 2018, and in total, he has been the man in the middle 22 times in the Premier League this season, most recently refereeing Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Everton last weekend.
Finally, Paul Tierney will oversee VAR this weekend.
Tierney has worked as the Video Assistant Referee at 48 Premier League games so far this term, including West Ham's fixtures away at Crystal Palace, Fulham and Aston Villa, and at home to Brighton & Hove Albion. He will be assisted by Mark Scholes.
