Match official who embraced the celebrity culture is under the spotlight himself after allegations made by Chelsea

Mark Clattenburg has long cut a precocious figure; in the best and worst senses of the word. First seen running the line in the rough, tough Northern League at the age of 18, he became a Football League referee at a then unprecedented 25 and made the prestigious Fifa list shortly after his 30th birthday.

Still only 37 and now ranked among the world's foremost officials, Clattenburg openly enjoys the trappings of success. He has embraced the 21st century's "look at me" celebrity culture to the extent that, with his love of expensive sports cars, designer labels and artfully applied hair gel, he could easily be confused with the Premier League footballers he is paid to control.

Born in Consett, County Durham, and brought up in the Northumberland town of Cramlington, Clattenburg is a Newcastle United fan whose allegiance prevents him from officiating at their matches. One of his proudest moments came six years ago when he refereed Alan Shearer's testimonial. It was the sort of occasion the schoolboy who had taken up officiating to earn his Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the young man who qualified as an electrician in the days before professional referees existed could barely have dreamt of.

In recent years Clattenburg's "matey" refereeing style has, on occasion, created on-field sparks. Sometimes his casual, chatty approach towards the game's multimillionaire players works superbly, at others it raises hackles among a breed known for their sensitivity to being "dis-respected" and, on Sunday, it left him fighting to save his career.

The truth or otherwise of accusations that Clattenburg aimed a racist insult at Chelsea's Mikel John Obi during Manchester United's 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge remains unknown but despite the staunch support of the referees' union, he is facing the most severe crisis of his professional life.

Although very different from previous traumas, it is far from the first upheaval he has confronted in recent years. The divorced father of a young son, his private life has not always run smoothly while his stewardship of two electrical companies was beset by financial difficulties.

Almost four years ago Clattenburg made headlines when his £40,000 Black Porsche Boxster was vandalised outside his smart apartment in Lanesbrough Court, a gated complex in the affluent Newcastle suburb of Gosforth. A former girlfriend and business partner of the referee was subsequently arrested and questioned by police in connection with the incident.

Earlier in 2008 he had been sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials board pending a probe into his business affairs following allegations that he owed £60,000 as a result of a failed venture as the co-owner of an electrical company.

In February 2009 Clattenburg was reinstated as a Select Group Referee on appeal but suspended for eight months from 6 August 2008 – the date of his original ban – for "issues relating to his private and business affairs". The Newcastle Evening Chronicle reported that Clattenburg's suspension was related partly to anonymous allegations of gambling, domestic violence and drug taking relayed to a senior PGMO official in an unsigned letter. Although the referee vehemently denied the claims, the governing body was duty bound to investigate complaints it has consistently refused to comment on.

Mark Hughes was one of a number of managers who welcomed Clattenburg back saying he was a "good referee" and the game "needed" men of his talent but in December 2009 Hughes, then in charge of Manchester City, at least temporarily changed his mind. The Welshman was left furious after accusing Clattenburg of asking the City bench "How do you work with Craig Bellamy all week?" in a game against Bolton during which he sent the forward off for a second yellow card offence.

In 2007 Clattenburg's judgment had been called, similarly, into question when, during a Merseyside derby, he seemed poised to issue Everton's Tony Hibbert with a yellow card before producing a red following a brief discussion with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. Later in the game he failed to dismiss Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt for a two-footed waist-high lunge. He did not take charge of another match involving Everton until earlier this year and has yet to reappear at Goodison Park.

Like every referee, Clattenburg has made his fair share of controversial decisions and there have, inevitably, been mistakes. Overall, though, a man dubbed "absolutely fantastic" by the Leeds United manager Neil Warnock – normally a scourge of match officials – has got far more decisions right than wrong.

Identified as a high flyer by Fifa, he has been widely expected to be the English referring representative at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At the London Olympics Clattenburg refereed the final between Brazil and Mexico, with his performance impressing Fifa and confirming PGMO's opinion that he ranks as one of their brightest talents. Whether or not he can emerge from the shadow cast by Chelsea's allegations remains to be seen.