Opposition fans rejoice as 'United legend' ref retires

England’s top referee Howard Webb has announced his retirement - and not a moment too soon for a lot of football fans.

England’s top referee Howard Webb has announced his retirement - and not a moment too soon for the ABUs.

Webb, 43, who refereed the 2010 World Cup final and at the recent World Cup in Brazil, hangs up his whistle after 25 years.

He also refereed at Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, and was widely-praised for his performances at the World Cup in Brazil.

So, #HowardWebb retires from refereeing... pic.twitter.com/Z3hswylW85

— Paddy Power (@paddypower) August 6, 2014

Whether justified or not, Webb came in for consistent criticism from Premier League fans, particularly those who felt he was unfairly biased toward Man United.

His retirement prompted a surge of jokes based around just that topic.

Hope United retire the number 12 shirt in honour of Howard Webb

— James Prime (@iamjamesprime) August 6, 2014

Even a (ahem) former team-mate got in on the act.

"@Moqayah: BREAKING: @ManUtd legend Howard Webb has followed Vidic, Evra and @rioferdy5 out of the club ... http://t.co/HDxDoAXuHX

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) August 6, 2014

Webb said: “I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career after a wonderfully rewarding 25 years on the pitch.”

“I also have much more to learn about the business of refereeing and I believe the best place for me to do that is with PGMOL. It’s an incredibly positive working environment and we all have a common goal of improving refereeing.”