Back in 1968 I wrote an article for another publication campaigning for more help for referees. 'Every referee in this country-1 wrote, 'goes through his
refereeing career with little or no assistance from anyone, least of all from the
one organisation he has the right to expect it from, the Football Association'.
I have to tell you that very little had changed until Adam Crozier took over as
Chief Executive Officer of the FA three years ago. It coincided with the
appointment of a new Head of Refereeing to whom Adam Crozier set three
objectives.
1. To provide qualified referees for all sanctioned matches.
2. To ensure that referees are of the highest quality at every level of the game.
3. To afford equality of opportunity for every referee to reach his/her potential.
What's more Adam Crozier backed this with cash. The Refereeing Department of the
FA had never before had its own budget.
There is much more to those objectives than might at first meet the eye. Each
week during the football season, four thousand games are played without
qualified referees. This means that to meet the first objective another four
thousand referees are required. The Refereeing Department have not only been actively recruiting new referees but also seeking to retain those already
refereeing, with a whole series of initiatives.
The drop out rate for referees is
tremendously high. To provide the highest quality of referees at every level has produced little
short of a revolution in referee training and in the requirements for promotion.
As a personal example, in the last eight days, apart from refereeing a local men's
match, I have in my capacity as a FA Referee Instructor, spent five whole or
part days, either training new or existing referees, or updating my own skills.
Three of those training sessions would not have happened before Adam Crozier joined the FA. Referees applying for promotion, now have to attend training
seminars and something previously unheard of, have to take another examination. This ensures they have kept up with changes to the laws of the
game.
Referees need to be fitter than ever and fitness tests have been in place
for many years at the top level. This has now been spread to lower levels of the
game. To help referees' achieve the required fitness, a National Manager for
Referee Fitness has been appointed, along with Area Fitness
Co-ordinators. An FA fitness booklet and video have also been produced aimed at the particular
type of fitness a referee requires. Guidance is also given on creating energy
through the correct food and drink.
The third objective to ensure equality of opportunity for referees, refers to the
fact that previously referees were very much controlled by the County FAs.
Some did more than others for referees which of course led to inequality. To overcome this, ten Regional Managers-Referees were appointed to oversee
training and development of referees throughout the country. Our Regional Manager for the south is the only lady in the team, Janie Frampton, former
footballer who has refereed at senior level in men's football and the highest level
in women's football. The London Regional Manager incidentally is ex-Reading
referee, Ed Stone.
All of this costs money but is for the benefit of all football,
not just the professional game. Refereeing has long been the poor relation of football and I have only
scratched the surface of the initiatives, that the FA led by Adam
Crozier, has been undertaking to catch up fast. Let's hope his departure will not mean a
return to the dark ages I described in 1968.
Dick Sawdon Smith