THE TECHNICAL AREA Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society

Issue 12 June 2011

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Editor’s comments

For the majority the season is now coming to a close. We all know that although the football may be taking a rest for a couple of months the work done off the field by officials up and down the country will continue into the height of summer with meetings and fitness tests. For some, they will be experiencing football at a new level and I’m sure those will now be eagerly awaiting the start of the new campaign.

There are to be a number of changes this summer within the refereeing system. A new structure within the higher realms of non-league football will take place with the replacement of the current ‘level 2’ match official with levels ‘2a’ and ‘2b.’ Also, for those operating at Contributory level whether as a referee or assistant the administration side of officiating is also taking an overhaul to move more inline with the PGMO system. More information on this can be found later in the issue.

I’m sure everyone would also like to congratulate all those officials who have been given prestigious appointments in the past few weeks and also those who have received letters through the door asking them to make that step up on the refereeing ladder. Further promotions are to be revealed in the near future of which a significant number will be eagerly awaiting news.

The society has also had another fantastic season both on and off the field as members continue to excel throughout the footballing levels. You can see a full list of appointments at the very end of the magazine. Off the field (as cov-ered in previous months) the society has enjoyed a full social calendar with a variety of events. In addition to this the weekly training events at the University of Cumbria have received the best audiences in many years. It is very clear to see that next season will only be bigger and better.

Finally, as this is the final month of the magazine I wanted to do a special feature piece. It was very obvious early on what subject to cover, having spoken to a number of society members. The three page piece is focused on a stal-wart of refereeing within the local area. His tireless work and effort often go unnoticed and I would just like to raise awareness of the fantastic work he does for so many referees within the local area. For one final time, I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of the magazine.

Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’

Society annual dinner

Friday 20th May 2011 Lancaster House Hotel

7.15pm reception £28 per ticket

Contact Tommy Pinder

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In this final issue

UEFA brings together some of the world’s

top young match officials

More information on FIFA’s goal line technology studies

End of season report by society Chairman

Changes to FA online systems

Insight from mystery pro footballer

Dedication to one of the society’s greatest

assets

Ferguson and Wenger on changes to refereeing systems

Season review of society member

appointments

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Thank you Unfortunately this will be the last issue of The Technical Area as I am soon to leave the country and therefore unable to find time to continue with the publication. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their help and support with the magazine over the past twelve months. To those who have contributed with features, those with research and for those that I have hounded and harassed (and in one case blackmailed!); your time and effort is very much appreciated. It has been a team effort for which I am very proud to say all society members (and non-members!) stepped up to the plate when asked. Growing from a list of only 43 names to now having a readership of over 2,000; the magazine is distributed knowingly to thirteen different countries covering four continents. All levels of the refereeing pyramid are covered with readers from the very pinnacles of international football to those who dedicate their weekends to the grass roots game on the local park. We operate in arenas of no thanks. Our efforts are scrutinised, vindicated and criticised week in week out but having had the pleasure of communicating with such a significant number of readers it is very clear that at whatever level an official operates, in whatever country or whatever role – the determination to improve, develop and learn as match officials is truly remarkable. I don’t hide from the fact that the magazine receives a lot of praise but without the thousands out there every week doing their jobs admirably, there would simply be no magazine to produce. With that I thank you and wish you all the best of luck for the future within the sport we call ‘the beautiful game.’

Congratulations to Society members Paul Ince and Rhys Ryder who have recently been

promoted to level 4 match official for season 2011/2012.

They will referee on the Supply League Pool and assist on the

Contributory Leagues.

Young referees given expert help UEFA's up-and-coming referees were in Nyon this month as part of the talents and mentors programme under which they are given expert help by former international referees. UEFA continues to nurture its young referees, and the latest recruits to the European body's talents and mentors programme gathered for their latest course in Nyon. Under this ambitious and long-standing programme, promising young officials get expert help in their development from experienced former international referees. Twenty-four referees travelled to Nyon as

UEFA looks to help them along their career path. The young referees and assistants – the talents – are fostered by their experienced mentors. The mentors remain in constant contact with their referees by email or phone, and by either visiting them or inviting them to the mentors' respective countries. Their discussions centre on matters including match performances, diet, general conduct and communication in English, which is UEFA's refereeing language. UEFA will explain its talents and mentors philosophy at the course. It takes the viewpoint that young referees and assistants should be treated in the same way as young football players. Footballers learn and profit positively from the guidance given to them by experienced coaches, and up-and-coming match officials also benefit from the experience of referees who have collected wisdom throughout their own careers. More than 150 talents from throughout the UEFA member associations have been through the UEFA programme over the past 11 years, and a number of referees who were part of the talents and mentors scheme have gone on to take charge of matches at the highest international club and national-team levels.

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The Social Committee would like to welcome any ideas that members would like to be added to the growing social calendar.

Please contact Tommy Pinder for more information.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has insisted that he would have no problem in welcoming assistant referee Mike Cairns to White Hart Lane for their next fixture, despite the official mistakenly awarding a goal to Chelsea during his side's 2-1 defeat to the Premier League champions on Saturday. Frank Lampard's equaliser was awarded after it crept past Heurelho Gomes but failed to cross the line, increasing calls for video technology to assist officials. Cairns, who was running the line for referee Andre Marriner, gave the goal despite being some distance from the ball and Redknapp has insisted that he would have no problem if he were to officiate in Spurs' next clash at home to Blackpool. He said: "I'd be more than happy if Mike's name is on the officials' list for that match. Sure, he made a mistake but how is he supposed to see what's going on from where he was positioned? "He's done his best and it's one of those things. If he's working at our next match, great." The Spurs manager did however question the logic of Fifa for not backing video technology, stating that football is falling behind other sports by refusing to be open to the idea. He said: "It's almost as if football is the only major sport that

The discovery of a beehive on a crossbar held up play for 20 minutes at a football match in Brazil. The Goiania state championship match between Vila Nova and Goias at the Serra Dourada was delayed when hundreds of bees gathered on one of the goals. The fire brigade was called in and they used an extinguisher and a flaming torch to get rid of the bees.

FA Cup final officials Congratulations to Martin Atkinson who was appointed to referee the 2011 FA Cup Final, the most prestigious club competition on the planet. Martin was supported by assistants Adam Watts and Simon Beck. Reserve referee was fellow Premier League and FIFA referee Lee Probert and reserve assistant referee Jake Collin.

Webb off to Brazil Soccerex has confirmed that referee Howard Webb will be taking part at this year’s Soccerex Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro from November 26th-30th 2011. Webb will form part a special panel titled ‘The Great Football Debate’ which will include a mix of big name football industry stakeholders including leading journalists, club and business fig-ures. The panel will give their different perspectives on some of the biggest issues affecting global football today. Webb, currently number one in FIFA’s World Referee rankings, and the first person to referee both the Champions League Final and the World Cup Final, will also be officiating several leg-ends games as part of the renowned Soccerex Football Festival. The festival is a two-day event taking place at the start of the Global Convention in a purpose-built stadium on Copacabana beach. The event features international football legends, stars of the future, football freestylers and local entertainment. The Soccerex Global Convention 2011 will consist of an in-depth conference schedule, packed exhibition, a large range of networking and two-day Football Festival all taking place in the host city to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, Rio de Janeiro.

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FIFA test goal line technology FIFA have announced a two-stage testing programme for goal-line technology as the pressure builds for the introduction of systems to help referees determine whether the ball has crossed the line. Companies will need to demonstrate 90% accuracy rates for their prototype systems in order to get through the first phase and then return a 100% success rate in the second phase. FIFA changed their stance last year after Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in the World Cup and now accept the need for goal-line technology - if the systems can be show to be completely reliable. Lampard was also at the centre of the latest controversy this weekend when he was awarded a goal for Chelsea against Tottenham despite TV pictures showing the whole of the ball had not crossed the line. Companies have until June 3 to register their interest with FIFA, who will share the costing of the testing. Each firm can select which stadium they would like the tests to take place. The tests will be divided into three parts: • shots from all over the pitch into an empty net. A 100% success rate is needed to pass phase one. • 'dynamic' tests: a ball-shooting machine will fire shots into the goal where a fixed wall will at first stop the ball crossing the line, and then be moved back inside the goal at different distances from the line. A 90% success rate is needed to pass phase one. • 'static' tests: a ball is placed on a sledge and moved at slow motion across the goal-line, sometimes with the ball rotating. A 90% success rate of this test is also needed to pass phase one. For each test, an immediate signal that the ball has crossed the line must be sent to a referee's watch. Companies that successfully pass phase one of the process - which will take place between September and December - will be subjected to more rigorous and scientific testing in a second phase between March and June next year. FIFA said in a statement: "A higher volume of tests will be conducted to ensure a more precise evaluation of the fitness of a technology and to provide a full statistical analysis. This will include more simulated match scenarios as well as other factors including: software reliability; transmission signal quality; performance under changing weather conditions as well as on different pitch surfaces.'' The International FA Board, the game's law-making body, will be presented with the results of the testing at a special meeting in July 2012. Successful systems could be in place for the the 2014 World Cup in Brazil - FIFA say the second phase tests will be carried out in "different lighting conditions as per the FIFA requirements for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil''. British company Hawkeye is expected to be one of the firms that apply to FIFA - they believe their technology is 100% accurate. They were not part of the first tests at FIFA headquarters in February because they needed a stadium in which to use their systems. All 10 companies tested in February failed, although three did come close to being 100% accurate. A number of others failed hopelessly however - including one system that registered a goal when the ball when two inches above the crossbar.

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Future Referee Courses Lancashire FA have the following basic referee courses taking place in the coming months [start dates listed]:

11th June 2011 Lancashire FA HQ, Leyland

26th July 2011 Lancashire FA HQ, Leyland

For more information on all of these course and others including course details, costs etc. please see the Lancashire FA website and click on Development.

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"END OF ANOTHER SEASON!"

And yet another football season comes to an end! It is amazing how quickly they pass, especially when there are 2-3 games to referee each week, plus Society training and also various other meetings and training courses to attend, organised by Leagues and County FA's. The commitment referees have to show, who wish to move up the ladder, is certainly considerably greater now than 10 - 20 years ago, but equally they have much more support in their refereeing career with coaches, mentors, etc, than in my younger days! I am delighted to report that the Lancaster & Morecambe Referees' Society have had another very successful season. The Annual Dinner Dance goes from strength to strength with increasing numbers every year; 109 attending on this last occasion. In order to keep the cost of the tickets down to a reasonable amount, a considerable amount of fund raising takes place, organised by members of the Society Executive, which helps to offset the cost. Where else could you have a 3 course dinner with wine, flowers for the ladies and live entertainment at a 4 star hotel for £27.00? The decision of a few years ago to move to a top local hotel has certainly paid great dividends. We are also delighted that our 2 local clubs (Morecambe & Lancaster City) both fully support the Dinner, together with representatives from the County FA and various regional and local football Leagues. The Society training programme continued every Monday evening from early September to the end of March. Numbers are always above the 20+ mark and I have been impressed that some of the parents of our very young referees have also decided to stay and listen to the discussions. David Alison has now been preparing the training programme, and on the majority of evenings, presenting the discussions/talks, for over 35 years: a marvellous record of commitment and support to the Society. The quality has never waned and he has had some excellent guest speaker from the world of football, County FA's, physical training coaches, sport physiotherapists, etc. The highlight of this last season must go to the visit of Howard Webb at the end of March, who gave a presentation on his appointments and experiences at the World Cup Finals and the European Cup Final. An excellent evening attended by over 80 members and friends. I should also like to take the opportunity to thank the Society members who also presented various subjects at the training classes and the work they did in preparing for their talks. The other main highlight of the year was the Sports Forum held in March, yet again organised by Dave Alison, with the support of Eric Beniston and Tom Pinder. The Sports Forums have now taken place as an annual event since 1996 and the driving force behind them is Dave Alison. They have proved hugely popular and raise money for our training programme and the other events. This year the panel consisted of Phil Brown (PNE Manager), Mark Halsey and Jim Bently (Morecambe FC). This was an excellent evening with a record attendance of 122. My thanks to all those who helped Dave with the arrangements for the evening. I am also delighted to report that the Society numbers continue to grow. We have had a number of very young members joining the Society, the majority who are now old enough to commence refereeing on the Youth League. We have also had an influx of referees from the University some of whom have added an International flavour with 2 from Nigeria and one from Finland. All the newcomers are attending our training nights, when able to do so, and are progressing very well including a number who are already officiating at some of the local cup finals! Finally I would like to thank members of the Executive for their support during the year, which has led to the position that the Society is in at present. I would also like to thank Gareth Stphens for all his work in producing the Society magazine. The magazine was in the doldrums for many years but he has totally revamped it, and it is now read all over the world which is quite amazing. I am only too sorry that he is moving to America in May to take up his career as an airline pilot: we wish him all the best! May I finally thank all the Society members for their support in the last 12 months and wish them a pleasant and relaxing break over the next few months and see you all again at the training classes when they begin in September. Colin Wright, Chairman, L&M Referees' Society

Colin Wright is currently Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society

Chairman.

To the left is a report by Colin who sums up the Society’s football season as well as looking forward to the summer

months.

LMRS has had an extremely busy season 2010/2011.

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FA MATCH BASED DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM

LAUNCH 6th JUNE 2011 As you are aware, the new Match Based Discipline system will be introduced for all Adult teams at all levels from the start of next season, 2011/12. There are a number of very important aspects in the system and that it is imperative that everyone involved understands. Therefore The Football Association is holding a Seminar, hosted by television and radio presenter Mark Saggers, at Wembley Stadium that will be shown live on the internet. The 2 hour Seminar will be taking place on Monday 6th June 2011 commencing at 7pm. There are a lot of key changes and everyone involved will be able to participate in the session from the audience at the Seminar and those joining online with an opportunity to ask quesions and take part in opinion polls. In addition, there are 250 places available to attend in person at Wembley Stadium and if you would like to be considered for 1 of these places please also register online. In addition to attending the seminar there will be an opportunity to experience a tour of the Stadium. Should there be too many applicants, there will be a ballot for places. Should you have any questions on the Seminar please email matchbased@thefa.com

Message to level 3 and 4 match officials Purpose of this communication The FA and PGMOL are working together to improve the processes in-volved in managing match official appointments, administration and report-ing. Central to this project is the replacement of the existing MOAS – Match Official Administration System – with an improved, fully integrated and fully automated MOAS to help manage your refereeing. Why are we doing this? The existing systems need to be replaced and brought into the 21st century. Refereeing administration currently involves significant amounts of duplication which can be avoided. The new MOAS will improve the quality of data, reduce errors, reduce costs and, most importantly, reduce the bureaucracy associated with refereeing. When will the changes take place? The change to the new MOAS system will take place in July; before the start of the new season. During June we will train all referees in the new system. We will communicate the timetable for training in May. What are the key changes? Closed Dates, acknowledgements, appointments and contact details will be maintained by you. Misconduct Reports (Red/Yellow and Extraordinary Reports will be entered online instead of current email process) Referee report forms will be entered and distributed via MOAS. Assessments will be entered, stored and distributed via MOAS. MOAS will provide you with details of changes to match officials on your games (e.g. replacement assistant referee) Email alerts will keep you up to date with changes to your matches Comments or Concerns Further details will be distributed to all leagues, clubs, referees and assessors over the coming months but if you have any comments, concerns

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The Secret Footballer: When referees attack. Or just use your nickname. According to the Terminator films, man-made machines will arrive sometime in the future where they become self-aware and take over the world. Given the speed at which football embraces technol-ogy, it's safe to assume that referees will be the last human sacrifice. In the meantime we will have to hope that we can produce a few more officials like Howard Webb.

Many referees lay claim to one archetypal dictator-like trait (self�confidence) while exhibiting all the hallmarks of another (self-delusion). What rankles most with players during a game is a referee who is clearly enjoying being the centre of attention and not, I hasten to add, because we feel that they may be detracting from the main event, namely us. This is because a referee who displays this behaviour generally blows his whistle more than is necessary, impinges on the flow of play and is wholly unapproachable from the outset.

This showmanship could be the result of a few things: either the teams he is refereeing have given him a hard time in the not too distant past or, just as likely, the referee in question personifies his performance. Whatever the reason, some games have certainly been ruined by these flaws. For the record, Rob Styles embodied all of those characteristics.

Some referees are over-friendly and refer to the top players by their nicknames and to other players, who perhaps don't command the same aura, by their surname. Thinking about it as I have over the years, it must be in our human nature to want to buddy up to those who are at the top of the tree and, in turn, try to please them.

I have seen many decisions given that I don't think players from smaller teams would necessarily have got, and when you throw into the mix the consequences of not giving a decision to a "big" player that then results in a goal for the other team or incurs the wrath of that player's manager in the media, then one can see how a referee might have one eye on Monday morning's headlines before he steps on to the pitch.

This human element in referees gives players all the encouragement they need when trying to steer a match in their favour, from cracking jokes in the tunnel with him to applauding when he gives a decision their way – especially if it should have gone to the other team – or putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Yet an aggressive approach can be just as effective. If a referee gives any indication that he may be unsure or weak then he will come in for some fairly heavy-handed tactics, from physical contact to the worst abuse.

Webb, who for my money is the best referee we have, once showed me first-hand how he refuses to take any nonsense from players. After a series of free-kicks given against us, I ran towards him to re-monstrate, shouting and swearing as I went. As I got to him, he swivelled round and poked a sausage-sized finger into my midriff. Winded, I found myself in the desperately uncomfortable position of be-ing doubled over, while at the same time crying with laughter inside at the thought of anyone in the street where I grew up finding out that a referee – and a copper no less – had taken me down with a single prod of a finger. He finished me off by saying in an eerily calm voice: "Don't talk to me like that." Sometimes it is better to admit defeat. The shame, however, lives on.

I can't say that I am particularly proud of losing my cool and swearing at referees. It is very difficult to get across just how angry you can become on a football pitch, but swearing is a weakness – a sign that the brain isn't working fast enough to construct a decent sentence and get your point across.

There are a couple of refs who swear as much as some of the players, telling us to “f**k off” if we go near them and worse. It isn't a problem, but it does stand out as a markedly different approach and makes booking a player for dissent more tricky.

Of course, there are occasions when players, and managers for that matter, go completely over the top and make a referee's job virtually impossible. The Football Association wastes money on its flawed Respect campaign in a token attempt to look as if it is being proactive, but it does not offer any of the referees the real protection that they so badly need for

them to do their job.

I believe that fitting all officials with a microphone, with the full knowledge of the players, managers, coaching staff and fans, would go a long way to ending the abuse they take. I'm pretty confident that players would think more than twice about swearing at any official if they thought everyone could hear him. I know I would.

In 1989 David Elleray wore a microphone in a match between Millwall and Arsenal. After he judged that Tony Adams's shot hadn't crossed the line, the Arsenal captain was overheard calling Elleray the C-word. If there is one word that you never call a referee it's "cheat". Adams, it is safe to assume, would have spoken to Elleray a little differently had he known he was being recorded.

At least it looks as if there may be some relief on the horizon for officials. It is widely anticipated that goalline technology will be with us in time for the 2012-13 season, which should help to stem some of the conflict that we see every time an official has to make a decision like the one at Stamford Bridge last Saturday.

Not enough time for machines to gain self-awareness between now and then but cer-tainly long enough for the players. Every week a mystery professional footballer writes for the Guardian. He provides an honest view from the top of the footballing tree.

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“The work Eric does in invaluable. When a referee is starting his career, he needs a friendly face to guide him, cajole him, and support him when the going gets tough. He needs an experienced man to coach him in the right direction so that bad habits are not formed. He also needs reassurance when outside forces question his ability and he needs an arm round him when doubt creeps in. In Eric, the new referee has all these things, and over the past few years he has single-handedly ensured that our retention rate has improved considerably. I have nothing but praise for the contribution he makes towards setting referees on the right path.” David Allison PGMO National Manager and Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society Training Officer.

“One in a million” Eric Beniston has been a cornerstone of Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society for many years. As well as being Honorary

Treasurer and member of the Executive and Social committees; he also plays a key part in developing you match officials.

In planning for this feature, I sent out an email to those referees who have benefitted from his guidance over the past number of years and the response rates told a story. Every match official, when beginning their career, needs good foundations and the role

that he plays as a referee mentor has helped so many climb the ladder based on those very roots.

He has been able to, through liaising with the County FA and society members build up a team of people who are able to help increase both quantity and especially quality of referees.

Later in the issue Eric will explain more in depth his work with officials, some of which are now operating within the semi-

professional game.

Eric (pictured above, second from the right) spends many hours per week working with over a dozen referees from levels 4s to 8 and 9 aging

from those in their 20s to as young as 13 and 14. His ability to work from scratch with match officials and get them onto the ‘ladder’ has

been fantastic.

“Eric has been a loyal servant and a credit to football, helping with the development of young match officials. The time, effort and enthusiasm that he has shown have been remarkable. At the County FA and particular the Lancaster RA, he is regarded as one in a million and an inspiration to us all.” Eddie Wolstenholme Lancashire FA Referees’ Development Manager.

“Eric is a tremendous servant to local football who truly embraces the RA motto of ‘service before self’. When I was RDO at Lancashire, I would have numerous conversations with Eric about newly qualified referees and their progress, his excitement, enthusiasm and passion was second to none and he clearly makes a difference in Lancaster with the fantastic work he contributes to local football. Eric is like a dog with a bone when he has his mind set on something and this is testament to how much he cares about others. Eric is a remarkable man and a stalwart in refereeing and so many who referee in Lancaster and beyond have a fond affection and a debt of gratitude towards him.” Dean Mohareb FA National Referee Manager, Select Group assistant and level 2 referee.

Eric will later in the issue explain his role and how he goes about developing young

match officials.

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Mentoring The role of a mentor is to help, not to criticize. The mentor should be a friend and confidant; who is approachable, patient and proactive during the early stages of a referees’ career. A mentor should also be readily available either in person or on the telephone. Mentoring as it is known today did not start until Jan 2006. I had been watching/advising/helping young refs since 2000 . Not many stayed the course. Two did. Robert McCall started when he was 15 and continued until he went to Edinburgh University. Mark Read started when he was. 14. He progressed well and was my assistant at the U16 Cup Final in 2002/3 season. Unfortunately he is not refereeing today. I ask myself “if only the Respect campaign had been operating back in 2003.” Others refs that fell by the wayside were: David Tomlinson, Gavin Williams, Ryan Marshall, James Martin and Robert Lees. In 2005 three more young refs came onto the scene. Kharn Lambert, Robert Allen and James Barker. The latter two disappeared after making sound starts. Kharn however progressed extremely well (and continues to!). He had the privilege of refereeing the Lancashire FA U13 Cup Final and has now achieved Level 4 status. By 2006 mentoring had really got started. Five schoolboys took up the whistle. Lee Hickin, Adam Corcoran, Dean Conroy, Ryan Gregory and Alistair Stewart. Ryan and Alistair are now Level 5 and progressing up the ladder. 2007 saw the arrival of six more schoolboys Liam Pearce, Jonathon Gardner, Guy Kirkbride, Matthew Stevenson, Matthew Dickinson and Gareth Stephens. Education and the Army has taken five of them. Gareth has also achieved Level 4 but we are about to lose him also as he is about to go to the USA to train as an airline pilot. 2010 became the United Nations Year when four Lancaster University students took the exam and started on the refereeing road. Uchenna Ogbannaya and Chinedu Ogu from Nigeria, Brian Kurwana from Botswana and Ferdinand Doepel from Finland. They were joined by Joe Shaw a 14 year olds schoolboy. All are making steady progress with Uchenna reaching Level 6 this year. The 2010/11 season started with three schoolboys: Michael Jones (15), David Kirkpatrick (14) and Daniel Whitehead (14). As with all young refs they started in the Youth Lge and are gaining fantastic experience. Two more University students, Yakubu Tsado from Nigeria and Liam Marshall have also joined the society and are progressing. Mentoring all these new referees has taken a lot of time and effort including standing in the rain, getting frozen and writing reports on their progress. Has it been worth it? OF COURSE IT HAS. For a laugh, I gave some of them nick names which have remained with them. Two names that spring to mind are “High Tower” and “Chancellor”. I leave you to decide why .

Eric John Beniston I started refereeing in Nottingham in 1972 having played football until I was 38 with The Nottingham Civil Service FC in the Middle Amateur Lge. I progressed quickly from Class 3 to Class 1(Level 5). My son Steven was playing football in the Youth League on Saturdays so I refereed in the Notts Sunday Afternoon Lge. It was a big league with Premier, Senior, Intermediate and Junior Sections. Each section had at least five divisions. I don’t think I refereed the same team more than once in a season unless in a cup match! I was selected to referee a Midland Sunday League semi-final at Sheffield United between Ubberley Miners Welfare and Stafford Rangers. Another game I will always remember was when I refereed a Nottingham Forest trial match at the City Ground in front of 300 parents. In 1977 I moved to Lancaster and joined the Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society. My son had signed as a semi-pro with Morecambe FC so I was watching him most Saturdays and refereeing in The Lancaster Sunday League. The highlight was to referee a Cup Final on Giant Axe. With the collapse of the Sunday League I moved to the Youth League where I was fortunate to referee the 2002/3 U16 Cup Final. My refereeing involvement continues to date with mentoring and of course as Treasurer of the Lancaster and Morecambe Refs Society .

“Eric has only been to watch me at one of my games, which was the very first game that I refereed. I found this very beneficial to me as he gave me advice before the game, at half time and afterwards at the meeting on the Monday night. Eric was also able to offer advice over the phone when there was an incident at Lancaster & Morecambe College when a goal post collapsed before the start of my game. Eric has made me feel very welcome at all the Monday night meetings and at the Bowling night when he bought me and Josh a drink.” Daniel Whitehead, Level 8 referee

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“Eric has been 100% the main reason I have taken up refereeing and developing the love for the game that I have today. I first met Eric back in May 2005 at Lancaster Road Primary school fields for my first ever match in a friendly between Morecambe U12 and Morecambe A U12. There were three of us that day who Eric had taken under his wing to mentor for the up and coming season. From that day I knew I’d made the right choice in joining Eric and the society for the 1st time. I did re-think this when the same week a letter asking me to pay him for all of his fees, but knew it was worth it in the long run! I have spent the last six years with lots of memories with Eric and one that stands out is both being appointed to the LFA Under 13's final at Leyland in 2007. A game that was famous for the society and that made national headlines. Af-ter a heated penalty shoot-out, Eric was called into action when he tried removing the female coach from the field of play, which unfortunately he failed and said female official ran on to con-front the referee, one great memory I and many others will never forget!! Another incident I recall with Eric was after a LFA Under 12's game at Highgrove, when after the game he changed from a referee mentor to a angry football manager when he banged on my dressing room door and started shouting at me disagreeing with decisions I gave in the game. Only after five minutes later I realized this was to test me out on how I would react to a manager that was unhappy. Eric has been a rock in my six years as a referee and I hope that continues for some time to come.” Alistair Stewart, Level 5 referee

Eric pictured with wife Margaret.

“After doing the child protection course, I actually thought on my first game I would be officiating kids, I couldn't find the ground but a friend took me the venue of the fixture. Only to get to my game at Bolton Le Sands 30 minutes before kick-off with Eric at the car park saying "lets do a pitch inspection together and meet both teams in dressing room", when I got to the dressing room, met grown men eager to play a game and I was astonished. He informed them I was new so maybe they were light on me but I enjoyed the game. In my dressing room, Eric checked my boots, uniform, writing pads and made me have a book to write about each fixture I had taken. He advised me on using common sense, hand signals, and having my eyes always on the players even if a goal has been scored. Also, he helped me know how to handle players without bringing out cards at any incidence unless it was the best way to handle such situations. Do more of talking to the players. He had a word to say in each game. "He acts more than a mentor, but a father" looking out on us. I was used to getting to most grounds and looking out to know if Eric was around, to show him how clean my boots were and how prepared I was for the games. The point is that, no matter the level of game I take, I always ensure my boots are cleaned well before each match and arrive early enough for pitch inspection and warm ups.” Uchenna Ogbonnaya, Level 7 referee

“Since I've started refereeing Eric's always been there to guide me to where I am now and made this first season much easier for me. Eric will pick up on even the slightest mistake and helping me overcome that and improve as a referee and that's what he is great at!” Michael Jones, Level 8 referee

“Since starting my career as a referee five years ago, Eric has become not only a colleague but a friend. His advice, not only within football but also life, has helped me develop both on and off the field of play. Looking at the current list of young officials coming through the ranks and the quality of each and every one is the ultimate testament to the man. Without doubt the most committed man in football within the local area if not farther. I also think that a special thanks must go to Margaret, his wife of many years who has not only been supportive of her husband but the entire ‘gang’ - not to mention her unofficial role as ‘Beniston household Secretary!’ Gareth Stephens, Level 4 referee

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More trouble for United boss Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is facing more trouble over recent comments he made about referees. Ferguson has just completed a five-game sideline ban for comments on Premier League referees. On top of that, the Football Association hit Ferguson with another improper conduct charge over comments made about World Cup Final referee Howard Webb in the build-up to last weekend's title clash between United and Chelsea at Old Trafford. Although the comments themselves were innocuous, including a statement that he believed Webb to be the "best man for the job", they contravened FA Rule E3, with managers not permitted to

discuss referees prior to games. "We are getting the best referee, there is no doubt about that. But [getting a bad decision] is definitely our big fear,” the Scot had said. “We have the players to do it all right. We just hope it's our turn for a little bit of luck." Although the comments were relatively uncontroversial, by speaking two days prior to the game Ferguson contravened the rules. He served a five-game ban for comments made about referee Martin Atkinson in the wake of his side's defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on March 1, when he initially suggested the official failed to be "fair".

Massey to referee Women’s FA Cup Final Sian Massey, the referee caught up in the Sky Sports sexism row will officiate the Women’s FA Cup Final at the Ricoh Arena. Coventry girl Sian Massey, 25, will ref the most prestigious game in the women’s game when Arsenal Ladies take on Bristol Academy Ladies on Saturday 21st May. The Tile Hill teacher made national headlines when pundits Richard Keys and Andy Gray were inadvertently recorded mak-ing disparaging remarks about her. Keys resigned and Gray was fired from Sky Sports in a huge debate about sexism in the sport. The former Whitley Abbey School pupil, right, has been trying to keep a low profile since the row erupted in January but will now take charge in the front of the live Sky Sports TV cameras as the final is held in her home city. It will be a real local affair with Arsenal boss Laura Harvey, 31, being a former Coventry City player and hailing from Bulking-ton. The game will kick off at 2pm and see Arsenal Ladies go in search of their 11th FA Cup win.

Fireworks hit officials The Swedish Football Association has ordered Stockholm-based club AIK to pay a fine of 150,000 kronor ($24,500) for an incident in which a referee was hit by a firework thrown from stands, forcing the match to be abandoned. In addition, AIK's opponent in the April 25th match, Södertälje-based rivalSyrianska FC, is to be awarded a 3-0 victory for the match. Crowds at the Allsvenskan football match, played April 25th on Syrianska's home arena, became aggressive following referee Martin Ströbergsson's decision to send off AIK's Teteh Bangura in the first half. Violence erupted in the stands, and several objects were thrown onto the pitch, including a firecracker that struck assistant referee Daniel Wärnmark. Strömbergsson finally decided to interrupt the match, only 20 minutes into the game. Although the Swedish Football Associa-tion has reached their verdict, the Södertälje police force is how-ever still investigating the events. "Several different things have happened, and we want the full picture before we decide who has done what,” said Mikael Alfredsson of the Södertälje police.

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Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society would like to congratulate all members and non-members on cup finals and promotions at all levels of the game.

Ex-FIFA referee looks back Arthur Luty's face lights up when he recalls May 1, 1954. In the space of a few hours he met the Queen Mother, refereed an FA Cup final in front of 100,000 people and was awarded a gold medal for his efforts. It was FA Cup final day between West Bromwich Albion and Preston at the original Wembley Stadium in London and Mr Luty from Leeds was the man with the whistle calling the shots. "I couldn't blow the whistle until the Queen Mother took her seat," Mr Luty said. The 93 year-old ex-Royal Air Force officer, who moved to New Plymouth in 1965, is still mad keen on football and will be watching tomorrow's FA Cup final between Manchester City and Stoke City with great interest. But the game now was a far cry from how it was when he was one of the world's leading referees, he said. "It was a different ball game in those days. We had just come out of the war so we knew what discipline meant and it was applied." Even the referees had a completely different demeanour. "In my day there was a lot of attitude to it, there was personality and character and you gained respect for your refereeing." More often than not Cup finals did not produce the best football, he said. "Cup finals can be a very disappointing affair because there is so much pompous ceremony and there's all the distractions." During his 18-year career touring the world as a referee for football's governing body FIFA, Mr Luty gained much respect from all football playing nations. Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby used to say: "we'll get nothing today from this referee but neither will the other side," Mr Luty said. And while he did not appreciate the arrogance and poor sportsmanship which featured in football today, he agreed with calls to build technology to assist referees detect whether the ball crosses the line or not. "I think it is a good idea that they do bring some technology into the game. It's important when there is so much money involved."

Wenger wants secrecy Arsene Wenger believes it would be better if the Premier League decided its matchday referees through a secret ballot 48 hours before kick-off to prevent managers offering public views that could land them in trouble. Wenger cannot believe Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged for saying Howard Webb was "the right man for the job" ahead of Manchester United's key clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford last weekend. Wenger is bemused. But he does feel another method should be used for choosing officials. "I don't like comments about the referee before a game. Afterwards I can understand that a manager should have a bit of freedom to express his opinions because the frustration is sometimes so big," said the Arsenal boss. "But you have to give the referee every chance to go into a game with a clear head and without pressure. I believe that you should not know the name of the referee before the game anyway. It should be a draw 48 hours before and nobody should know who is refe-reeing what game. That would keep everybody away from problems before a game." United have refused to comment on Ferguson’s charge, whilst Wenger had a bit of fun at his old adversary's expense before turning serious. "It was a shock to the FA," laughed Wenger. "They are not used for him to be complimentary. He is entitled to have that opinion. To me, it doesn't look to be a major problem to say that somebody is good. I would not charge him for that."

The Serbian Cup final ended in scandal after Vojvodina Novi Sad's players walked off the pitch in a farcical protest over con t rove r s i a l r e f e r ee i ng dec i s io ns , hand ing Partizan Belgrade their 12th title. Partizan were leading 2-1 when Vojvodina had an 80th-minute goal ruled out -- just after referee Slobodan Veselinovic had awarded Partizan a harsh-looking penalty, which they scored. Led by incensed coach Zoran Milinkovic, Vojvodina walked off and sarcastically applauded Veselinovic and the Partizan side, who tried to persuade them to carry on. Partizan were left to celebrate on their own in front of 10,000 of their fans.

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Webb receives MBE World Cup final referee Howard Webb dedicated his MBE to “the lads who work with me”. Rotherham-based Webb, who took charge of the controversial 2010 final between Spain and Holland in South Africa, was at Buckingham Palace to receive the honour. Webb - who handed out 14 yellow cards and one red card in Johannesburg in the game eventually won by Spain - received his MBE from the Prince of Wales and was joined at the Palace by his wife Kay and their three children Hollie, 12, Jack, 10, and seven-year-old Lucy. “I never dreamt when I started refereeing that I would get something like this. It's on behalf of the lads who work with me,” he said. “We're quite often doing thankless work, week in, week out. You develop a thick skin and you've got to have a lot of self belief. I was there to do a job and do it to the best of my abilities. I was hoping that football would be the winner and that they would remember the game for the right reasons not for all the cards we had to show. The Prince said it was nice that somebody had recognised referees as it's such a difficult job. He mentioned that it wasn't an easy game in the final. It was a great honour to do and nice to have some representation from England.”

From another sport French forward Sebastien Chabal must referee at least three youth games and undergo a refereeing course to avoid a doubling of his ban for criticising officials, France's rugby union said in a statement. Chabal, 33, the highest profile omission from France's World Cup squad announced recently, was provisionally suspended by his Racing Metro 92 team last month after an outburst against "hopeless" referees. The long-haired back-rower now faces a 60-day ban unless he agrees to the unusual requests from the union, in which case he will be suspended for only 30 days. Could/should this be introduced in football?

Social Networking punishments continue A junior player in Italy has been suspended for two games after writing offensive and threatening messages about a referee on his personal Facebook page. The unnamed footballer plays for the Polisportiva Gambatesa junior team in the Molise region in southern Italy. He was unhappy following a match between his team and Campobasso on October 25 last year and vented his fury on Facebook. But the local football association took disciplinary action, handing him a ban and also fining his club 200 euros.

Fifa put forward proposals to make changes to offside rule & allow teams to make four substitutions per game The Fifa Task Force Football 2014 met for the first time on 12th May in order to review the game and discuss what the future of football could hold for football. The main changes that the task force have proposed are allowing extra substitutions and a discussion of the offside rule, in relation to when a player is active, and to increase the number of female coaches and female referees. The members agreed to debate allowing a fourth substitution in extra time, particularly in the case of youth competitions. A discussion into the interpretation of the offside rule when it comes to interfering with an opponent, especially when it is not physical interference, was put forward. The task force also debated over ‘triple punishment’ – where a red card, penalty and suspension is dished out – and agreed that in the case of denying a goalscoring opportunity, the three sanctions should only be for serious fouls.

They proposed reducing sanctions for simple fouls to deny a goal-scoring opportunity, suggesting they would be punished only with a yellow card and a penalty. The next topic for discussion was a general agreement on the need to professionalise refereeing. The group’s task is to come up with concrete solutions in order to further enhance the level of referee-ing, and look into opportunities for how to better support referees for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The task force suggested that for Fifa under-17 competitions and below in both the men’s and women’s game, there should be no extra-time after 90 minutes, with a penalty shootout to determine the winner. Women’s football was discussed, and the group was asked to come up with proposals to increase the number of female coaches and referees.

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Halsey gives inspirational talk One of the country’s elite Premier League football referees proved an inspiration to pupils when he spoke about his career and battle with cancer. Mark Halsey, spent time at Southlands High School, Chorley, with 25 students, both boys and girls, all who have a keen interest in sport. Mr Halsey, who returned to the game last March after undergoing chemotherapy, took questions and showed them a video, which showed him refereeing Premier League games and charted his fight against throat cancer. A clip was shown where Jose Mourinho said Mark was the ‘top referee, hon-est, polite and friendly’. The ref also revealed he was invited to spend two days last year in Madrid, paid for by Mourinho, which included being a spectator as the Special One’s Inter Milan won the Champions League Final. Adam Lowery, assistant headteacher, said that the video clips were excellent for motivation. He said: “It was a brilliant session and we could really have done with a little more time. Mark is keen to come back and talk to another group of students. Without doubt, he is a superb role model. Mark told the students there is a lot of pressure because they are assessed each game. “He said that referees will train just has hard as professional footballers and his illness had given him an inner strength and determination to get back into refereeing.” Mr Halsey said he was humbled at the start of the season when he refereed his comeback match at Everton and the crowd of 26,000 gave him rapturous applause.

Women referees warm up for summer assignments European women referees and assistant referees gathered in Nyon recently to prepare for upcoming assignments and receive invaluable advice on taking charge of games in the various women's championships. The seventh UEFA course for international women referees saw UEFA Referees Committee members and UEFA fitness instructors on hand to give essential advice to the match officials in both discussions and fitness sessions. The course also served as a selection process for two women's competitions this summer – the UEFA European Women's Under-17

Championship and its U19 equivalent. Nineteen new FIFA referees and 14 assistant referees came to UEFA headquarters for the course, and will be asked to demonstrate their fitness to officiate at international women's matches, given the constant increase in fitness demands as the female game continues to move forward. The participants and UEFA officials also discussed experiences from earlier UEFA tournaments – in particular, the meetings held between referees and teams participating in European final rounds, in which players have been appraised of the policy of the match officials throughout the tournament and made aware of their responsibilities.

Redknapp frustrated

"The linesman's made a call, an honest judgement," Redknapp said. "He's guessed. He's had a guess. He's on the 18-yard line when the ball's on the goal-line. It's impossible to judge. No one can be sure. He's guessed wrong and he's made a mistake.

"Until we get technology, it'll keep happening. When Frank Lampard can hit a shot that goes two foot into the back of the goal, it can happen. What's wrong with getting the right decision? How is it 'the fun of the game'? The game is about getting decisions right. The whole ball has to cross the line."

"Surely, why can't the fourth official watch a screen and say: 'No goal.' It happens in tennis almost immediately. It takes seconds now."

Below is a snapshot of a recent Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. The ball was judged to have

crossed the line by the assistant referee but video evidence shows that this is in fact not the case.

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Sir Alex: Caution players on reputations Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has controversially called for referees to take player reputations into account when making major decisions. His comments came after Javier Hernandez had a penalty shout turned down in the 92nd minute of United's 0-0 draw at Newcastle, and was subsequently booked for diving by official Lee Probert. Ferguson told MUTV: “To yellow card the player, he gets himself out of jail in people's eyes by doing that, and it's disappointing because he had an outstanding game, the referee.” “I thought he was one of the better ones I have seen this season to be honest with you, I thought he had a really good game. Know the players you are refereeing. You would think the preparations for referees should be the same as a manager - prepare yourself, know each player in each team. He [Hernandez] is not that kind of player.”

Congratulations to Lancaster and

Morecambe Society member Jez

Simpson who has recently been

appointed to two separate play-off semi-finals as

referee and assistant referee respectively.

See later in the issue for details on both

appointments.

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Let’s give referees some respect Daniel Blazer is a normal working class amateur sports writer who loves nothing more than to talk about football. His is a genuine football fan. Listen to his thoughts on the professional game. Respecting referees feels like it has been on the national agenda for at least the past five years, but with numerous half-hearted campaigns and contradictory punishments being handed out by the Football Association, the utopia of respect for referees was never going to be reached. When I was a young lad growing up, there were two things I always knew and never doubted or questioned; one was that a pie at half time was the greatest taste ever and the other was that the referee’s decision is final, wrong or right. The lack of respect in the modern game from managers, players and fans alike has become unacceptable, especially when you consider the likes of former Swedish referee Anders Frisk retiring his whistle after receiving death threats from bitter Chelsea fans over their Champions League exit to Barcelona a few years ago. Should there be reforms to the beautiful game, to bring referees the protection and respect they deserve? Rugby is a fine example of a game that maintains respect throughout for the officials; one aspect in particular I feel the beautiful game could benefit from is the idea of sin binning. A player begins a tirade at the referee knowing full well that the worst punishment he could receive is a yellow card, there is little in place to dissuade a player from shouting at the man with the whistle, but would a player still enter into the debate with the ref if he knew that he could be sent off for 10 minutes? This introduction of a sin bin would have further benefits in the world away from the pitch, as Rooney-esque behaviour influences the younger generation of footballer followers, as well as discouraging any potential referees; nobody wants to be subjected to that level of abuse. I hate myself for even talking of rugby in higher praise than my beloved football, but there are some more rules that should be implemented into football to help protect referees. The most ridiculous rule in football is that if a referee sees an incident (such as Rooney’s elbow to the

face), the FA cannot then step in and implement any form of punishment. In the FA’s eyes, by not contradicting the referee they are respecting his decision, but it then leaves the referee in the line of fire for not sending off Rooney in the first place. We all accept that with the game being played at such a high pace and the referees only being human that mistakes will happen but regardless of what the ref saw or didn’t see, the FA should be brave enough to step in and hand out fines and suspensions to take the heat off the man in the middle. The infamous picture of Roy Keane leading the swarm of Manchester United players surrounding referee Andy D’Urso was nothing short of bullying. Scenes like this have become more and more regular with each season that passes, and nothing has been done to prevent this intimidation tactic; credit to referees, they do sometimes stamp their authority and speak to captains of both teams about reasons for booking a player or get them to have a word with individuals on their team who are in danger of being carded; surely though

there needs to be a law in place to outlaw such incidences. I recently spoke to a friend of mine, an FA qualified referee working in amateur football, who summed it up perfectly: “Of course we’re going to make mistakes, but aggressively criticising them in the form of dissent is doing nothing positive for the game, and if the FA doesn’t try to be more proactive in preventing it then this type of gamesmanship will only continue to infect the beautiful game at all levels. Nobody wants that.”

A Blackpool woman’s rise up the refereeing ranks has been rewarded with a place on the world stage. Natalie Walker is the first British football official to be selected for the showpiece of women’s football – the World Cup in Germany this summer. Natalie, from Preston will fly out to prepare for the tournament on June 16th. She said: “I can’t believe it. It’s something I didn’t think was possible when I started refereeing. To be selected is excellent and hopefully it will encourage more girls to take up refereeing.” England and defending champions Brazil are among the 16 nations contesting the sixth FIFA women’s World Cup, which gets under way at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and builds to a final in Frankfurt. Walker’s selection is the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication. Selected for FIFA’s official training camp after the last World Cup four years ago, she has since attended the Algarve Cup every February to undergo rigorous mental and physical tests. Walker has officiated in two Under-20 women’s World Cups in Chile and Germany. Among her biggest games was the deciding leg of the women’s UEFA Champions League final between Frankfurt and Swedish outfit Umea, which was played in front of 28,000 spectators. Frankfurt won 4-3 on aggregate. “That was awesome – a pretty amazing experience,” she added. Natalie has also recently been promoted to level 3 referee domestically.

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National and Lancashire competition appointments - annual review A revision of society member’s appointments this season: Paul Kettlewell – Football League Preston North End v Queens Park Rangers Accrington Stanley v Crewe Alexander Hartlepool v Huddersfield Town Burnley v Crystal Palace Hull v QPR Middlesbrough v Scunthorpe Sheffield United v Reading Accrington Stanley v Crewe Alexandra Stockport v Gillingham Doncaster Rovers v Barnsley Middlesbrough v Hull City Doncaster Rovers v Barnsley Hartlepool v Bristol Rovers Oldham Athletic v AFC Bournemouth Crewe Alexandra v Maccesfield Town Preston North End v Portsmouth Bury v Burton Albion Accrington Stanley v Oxford United Hartlepool United v Tranmere Rovers Middlesbrough v Coventry City Assistant: Paul Kettlewell Morecambe v Cheltenham Burnley v Scunthorpe United Rochdale v Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers v Plymouth Argyle Carlisle United v Peterborough Bury v Gillingham Carlisle United v Brentford Bury v Cheltenham Town Stockport v Cheltenham Town Fourth Official: Paul Kettlewell Jez Simpson – Football League Rochdale v Hartlepoole United Middlesbrough v Sheffield United Barnsley v Leeds Huddersfield v Yeovil Derby v Crystal Palace Hartlepool United v Peterborough United Carlisle v Charlton Burnley v Doncaster Rovers Leeds v Bristol City Stockport County v Port Vale Tranmere Rovers v Leyton Orient Rotherham United v Stockport County Huddersfield v Leyton Orient Rochdale v Notts County Leeds v Scunthorpe Port Vale v Bury Doncaster Rovers v Preston North End Sheffield Wednesday v Hartlepool United Carlisle United v Leyton Orient Assistant: Jez Simpson Tranmere Rovers v Brighton Morecambe v Bury* Accrington Stanley v Southend United Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday Preston North End v Middlesbrough Bury v Macclesfield Preston North End v Swansea City

*Jez became assistant referee after approx. 20 minutes and society member, Alistair Stewart (level 5) took over as fourth official Lee Metcalfe – Football League Rochdale v Colchester United Sheffield United v Portsmouth Morecambe v Shrewsbury Town Burnley v Reading Scunthorpe v Middlesbrough Tranmere Rovers v Hartlepool United Huddersfield Town v Brighton and Hove Albion Macclesfield Town v Bury Sheffield United v Hull City Leeds United v Middleborough Port Vale v Burton Albion Rotherham v Southend United Rochdale v Southampton Tranmere Rovers v Bristol Rovers Hereford United v Bury Bury v Lincoln City Oldham Athletic v Walsall Morecambe v Northampton Town Assistant: Lee Metcalfe Stockport County v Wycombe Wanderers Chesterfield v Lincoln City Accrington Stanley v Port Vale Crewe Alexandra v Cheltenham Town Burnley v Middlesbrough Fourth official: Lee Metcalfe Carling Cup Doncaster Rovers v Accrington Stanley Assistant Referee: Jez Simpson Morecambe v Coventry City Fourth Official: Paul Kettlewell Johnston’s Paint Trophy Macclesfield Town v Crewe Alexandra Assistant: Lee Metcalfe Carlisle United v Crewe Alexandra Assistant: Paul Kettlewell FA Cup Ramsbottom United v Winsford United Assistant Referee: Kharn Lambert Whitehaven A.F.C v Norton and Stockton Ancients Referee: Tommy Pinder Assistant: Gareth Stephens Assistant: Ryan Gregory Leigh Genesis v Runcorn Linnets Assistant: Kharn Lambert Ramsbottom United v Skelmersdale United Referee: Tommy Pinder Assistant: Robert Denton

Vauxhall Motors v Blyth Spartan Referee: Ian Gittins Assistant: Rob Denton Stalybridge Celtic v Alfreton Town Referee: Paul Kettlewell Workington v West Auckland Town Assistant: Chris Poole Rochdale v FC United of Manchester Assistant: Jez Simpson Carlisle United v Tipton Town Assistant: Lee Metcalfe Carlisle v Tamworth Fourth official: Jez Simpson Burnley v Port Vale Fourth Official: Jez Simpson FA Trophy Lancaster City v Woodley Sports Assistant: Gareth Stephens FC United v Colwyn Bay Referee: Paul Kettlewell Assistant: Chris Poole Droylsden v Stourbridge Assistant: Chris Poole Curzon Ashton FC v Altrincham FC Assistant: Ian Gittins Barrow FC v Guiseley AFC Fourth Official: Tommy Pinder Guiseley AFC v Luton Town Fourth Official: Ian Gittins FA Vase Penrith FC v FC Brimington Referee: Ian Gittins Assistant: Gareth Stephens Assistant: Ryan Gregory Atherton LR v Runcorn Town Assistant: Kharn Lambert Dunston v Whitely Bay Referee: Jez Simpson Assistant: Ian Gittins FA Youth Cup Lancaster City v Formby Referee: Gareth Stephens Assistant: Alistair Stewart Assistant: Rhys Ryder Liverpool FC v Southend United FC Assistant referee: Ian Gittins

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Association of Northern Counties Compe-tition Lancashire FA U18s v East Riding FA U18s Referee: Paul Ince Lancashire FA Senior Cup Quarter Final Manchester United v Oldham Athletic Referee: Lee Metcalfe Challenge Trophy Squires Gate v Rossendale United Referee: Tommy Pinder Assistant: David Fisher Kendal Town v Clitheroe Assistant: Gareth Stephens Radcliffe Borough v Wigan Robin Park Referee: Ian Gittins Assistant: Chris Poole Lancashire FA Professional Youth Cup Preston U18s v Blackpool U18s Referee: Ian Gittins Fourth Official: Rhys Ryder Amateur Shield Crooklands Casual v Wythenshawe Ama-teurs Referee: Steve Hamblett Furness Rovers v Charnock Richard Referee: Ryan Gregory Longridge Town v Askham United Referee: Steve Smith G.S.K. Ulverston Rangers v Euxton Villa Referee: Alistair Stewart Slyne-With-Hest v Euxton Villa Referee: Alistair Stewart Garstang v Turton Referee: Steve Smith Lytham Town v Poulton Town Referee: Steve Smith Amateur Cup Freehold v Rishton United Referee: Ian Hodgson Millhead v Preston G.S.A Referee: Rhys Ryder

College A.F.C v Tarleton Corinthians Referee: Chinedu Ogu Galgate v Old Standians Referee: Uchenna Ogbonnaya Highgrove v Hesketh Casuals Referee: Rhys Ryder Highgrove v Southport Amateurs Referee: Alistair Stewart Assistant: Ryan Gregory Assistant: Steve Smith Blessed Sacrament v Rossendale Amateurs Fourth Official: Gareth Stephens Southport Amateurs v Old Boltonians Assistant: Rhys Ryder Lancashire FA Sunday Trophy Greenlands FC v Poulton Youth FC Assistant: Rhys Ryder U18s Youth Cup Morecambe Hawks Y.F.C v Old Blackbur-nians Lammack Referee: Ryan Gregory Caton United v Billinge Juniors Referee: Tommy Pinder U16s Youth Cup Highgrove v Unsworth Referee: Chinedu Ogu Lancaster City v Wigan Junior Latics Referee: Uchenna Ogbonnaya Cockerham Juniors v Walney Island Referee: Alistair Stewart Bare Rangers v Gillibrand Warriors Referee: Ian Golightly Westgate Wanderers v Bolton Lads and Girls Club Referee: Tommy Pinder Lancaster City v Padiham Referee: Rhys Ryder Highgrove Juniors v Lytham Juniors Referee: Rhys Ryder U14s Youth Cup Cockerham Juniors v Blue Star

Referee: Steve Smith Bare Rangers v Church Referee: Alistair Stewart Carnforth Rangers v Black Combe Casuals Junior Referee: Matthew Dickinson Bare Rangers v Horwich St. Mary’s Referee: Steve Hamblett U13s Youth Cup Bare Rangers v Vickerstown Referee: Tommy Pinder Heysham Blue Stars v Clifton Rangers J.F.C. Referee: Steve Hamblett Cockerham Juniors v Lancaster City Youth Referee: Ian Golightly Lancaster City Youth v BAC/EE Preston JFC Referee: Tony Cragg Heysham Blue Star v Fleetwood Town Referee: Tony Howells Ladybridge v Holker Old Boys Junior Assistant: Tony Cragg Lancaster and Morecambe Service to Youth League Finals U12’s League Trophy Referee: Mr Matthew Dickinson Assistants: Mr Jonathon Carr & Mr David Kirkpatrick U13’s League Trophy Referee: Mr Brian Kurwana Assistants: Mr Yukubu Tsado & Mr Michael Jones U14’s League Trophy Referee: Mr Ferdinand Doepel Assistants: Mr Tony Cragg & Mr Joe Shaw U15’s League Trophy Referee: Mr Uchenna Ogbonna Assistants: Mr Ian Golightly & Mr Curtis Wood U16’s League Trophy Referee: Mr Tony Lee Assistant: Mr John Howker

Recent appointments

The following appointments were made in the last few weeks:

Premier League Under 18 Academy Semi-Final Play off - Everton FC U18s v Aston Villa FC U18s Assistant referee: Kharn Lambert

Football Conference Playoffs Semi-Final - Wrexham v Luton Towen

Fourth official: Jez Simpson

Football League 1 Playoff Semi-Final - Peterborough United v MK Dons Assistant referee: Jez Simpson

20 The views and opinions expressed in The Technical Area are not necessarily those of the Referees’ Association, the Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society or the Editor.

© 2011 Lancaster and Morecambe Referees’ Society

Useful websites www.thefa.com/refereeing www.lancashirefa.com www.footballreferee.org www.famoa.com

Society Contacts PRESIDENT - Mr B.Z.Ingiszi

bz.ingiszi@sky.com

CHAIRMAN - Mr J. C. Wright

email: jcolinwright@hotmail.co.uk

SECRETARY - Mr Declan Lyons

email: declan.lyons@btinternet.com

TREASURER - Mr Eric Beniston

email: beniston508@btinternet.com

SOCIAL SECRETARY - Mr Tommy Pinder

email: tommypinder4@hotmail.com

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER - Mr Tony Lee

email: tony4diane@btinternet.com

Other contacts Lancashire FA Referees’ Development Manager eddie.wolstenholme@lancashirefa.com Lancashire FA Referees’ Development Officer steve.stewart@lancashirefa.com Lancashire FA Referees’ Assessment Officer william.stockdale@lancashirefa.com

Contributions This magazine will be published monthly both in print and via email. If you have anything that you believe should be included in any of the following months publications then please contact: Editor: Gareth Stephens gareth.m.stephens@gmail.com 01524 736809

A massive thank you to all the readers and contributors to The Technical Area over the past

twelve months.