Life Of A Referee

Are there busy and quiet periods during the year?

There aren't really busy and quiet periods as a referee. In parks, you're refereeing in September, usually every Sunday morning. Then as you go up the league, obviously it goes on. Probably the winter can be a bit more demanding if you have to do pitch inspections. You might have to get to a ground on a Friday to do pitch inspections, so that can probably be a bit more demanding and so forth. But no, the season's just hectic once it starts, normally, or once pre-season starts.

Do you meet the players away from matches?

I think some players meet referees, but you don't do much, of course. I know referees go into clubs now and talk to players and so forth, but you don't actually meet the players on a program basis. You might meet players at a club for club request or go in the pre-season and advise them of any changes to laws or re-cap. We see park players anyway, because they're local, but there's no specific program for that.

Do referees socialise with players?

I think referees socialise with local players. Therefore, I wouldn't say 'socialise', but you'll mix with them and you'll talk to them and chat with them, and might see them at functions and so forth. But you'll find, on the way up, a lot of clubs - even semi-pro clubs - welcome their officials into the board room or into the club room, and they'll have a chat. I'll do that. A lot of officials will do that. Once you get to the top level as a referee, you don't really go into places like that.

How does being a referee affect family life?

Obviously it's an important question and a very good question, because as you progress as a referee and when you get to the top, you really have to have a supportive family. I was very lucky that my wife was very supportive. My two boys were quite young at the time, and if you're going away overnight. you'll travel Friday afternoon and won't come back until Saturday night and you're back at work again for reports on Sunday morning - or probably recovering Sunday, back at work Monday. If you do a night game, you either travel back next morning and work lunchtime, or if it's somewhere you can travel back, you're back at home late - midnight, one o'clock - and back in the office at eight thirty. At the end of the season, I think my wife used to be ready for a break and it's very demanding and I think some marriages fail probably because of that. Unless your family is supportive, it's very difficult, I think, to be successful as a referee.

How much travel is involved in being a referee?

Locally, not much travel is involved in being a referee, because you're going to local parks. But travel increases as your level increases. The higher you get, the more you will get to travel and so forth, until you get to the conference and football league, when probably you'll travel all around the country.

Are many of your friends referees?

I've got a few friends who are referees but I've got a lot of friends who aren't referees. You don't make friends because if you're in your local Referees' Association, which is made up of referees of all classes, usually there's only one or two of you who are at the very top, but the beauty of it is they're your friends that you've come through the ranks with and they keep your feet on the ground. I've got friends that are outside refereeing as well; a lot of them are involved in football.

Who was your favourite player when you grew up?

Obviously, watching football, Trevor Francis was wonderful to watch. As a sixteen year-old, the talent that guy had was unbelievable. Of course, it went on and on for England and subsequently European teams. I watched him and just wished I could have been like that. I mean, that's one person about whom you probably think, "I play, but I play park football" and you think, "I wish I had that ability," because it was just unbelievable. There are some players, in football, who are charismatic, and it's nice to think like that, to wish that I had that ability.

Do you have to declare who you support when you become a referee?

You don't have to declare who you support as a referee. I don't know what it is now, but when you're at the top level, on the data sheet or information sheet you have to fill in, you have to say if you were ever employed by a club or played for a club. But they never asked which football team you supported.

What is the worst thing about being a referee?

I think one of the worst things about refereeing is the loneliness, because you're travelling to game, you're on your own, you get to the game, you meet your colleges, then you're travelling back on your own, not with a team. When you're travelling, that's probably the stuff you miss; you're very much on your own and I think you miss the team side of it, so whenever you're playing a game for referees, it's great to be in a team environment. It was nice to play cricket in the summer, because you're in a team environment and so forth.

Who is your inspiration?

I was a great, great admirer and lover of Ian Botham. To me, he had everything you could want in a sportsman. He was charismatic, he was cavalier; he was talented, skilful, competitive. I just think he comes over as a great bloke and I think he must be a great bloke to have a drink with. I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with him by a long way, but he'd be a great bloke to have a drink with. He just epitomises everything you want to see in a successful sportsman, for me.

What is the best thing about being a referee?

I think the best thing about being a referee is that you keep involved with the game. It keeps you active. As you progress, the higher you get, the more fun and travel you get. Then when you get to the high level of refereeing, you travel abroad and you're well looked after. You visit all the grounds, you go behind the scenes and you're involved with the game. I just think it's a wonderful lifestyle if you're cut out for it. If you can get to the top, being a referee is a tremendous experience. You should have a wonderful time and great memories when you finish your career.

How damaging is a bad game to a referee's career?

A bad game can be very damaging in the short term to a referee's career. In terms of a season, if you have a very poor game, if you have a poor mark, you're struggling to get up the average. Of course, there's a certain average mark you're minimally required to get and a bad game can be very damaging early on. It can also be damaging psychologically if the referee hasn't got the strength of character to overcome it. Make no bones about it: it can have an adverse reaction on people. It can perhaps cause some referees not to progress on any further. Certainly some people might even pack up; if they have a really bad game and loads of abuse they might say, "This isn't cut out for me; I'm not standing this." And that's it. Let's not beat around the bush: it can be very damaging. But a bad game can, on the other hand, be part of character building and your preparation for the future as a referee.

What age do professional referees retire?

The retirement age for referees was 48, but of course with the new age-ist legislation, I don't know how they're going to get round that now. Maybe they just determine they're not fit or have marks. But in my time, you reach the age of 48, you have to come off the Premier League - you still referee in parks football, but once you come off that top level at that age, you can't go back into the Premiership and go back up; you can just referee in all football outside the pyramid system.

Why are referees so much older than players?

It's primarily because of the time it used to take for referees to get to the top level. It used to take 10 and 12 years. I was lucky; I got in at 33 and I never really started refereeing seriously until I was about 24 or 25. But I was an exception in those days. Nowadays, you get them in the late 20s, because of fast-tracking of referees. In the past, however, that was often why referees were older than players, because most referees didn't take it up seriously until late 20s and were usually 35-40 before they were approaching the top level.

Is it a good thing when referees become more high profile?

I personally don't think it's good for referees to become high profile. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving interviews about the game, in the proper circumstances, and having interviews. But I think sometimes egos have taken over with some referees. I think you go out there and you referee a game. I can talk about my philosophy: my philosophy is to go out and keep the game flowing whenever possible, because a flowing game is often an easier game to control, but certainly a more entertaining game to watch. Step in if you have to do your job, and once you've done it, step back out and let the game flow again. I think once you start becoming too high profile as a referee, some people start to think it's about them, and it's not about you. You are there to try and facilitate a successful, flowing game of football for people to watch.

Should more ex-players become referees?

If they've got it, why not become a referee? I've no problems with former players becoming referees. You just find that most players aren't cut out for it. I don't think they have the personality; they wouldn't want to take the stick referees take. If, like anybody, they've got the ability, give them the opportunity. That's my philosophy.