Most football supporters never get the chance to show a red card, or flag someone offside, but learners from a Suffolk college got to do just that earlier this week as part of an educational session in conjunction with the Suffolk Football Association.
Simon Long (pictured below) - who referees at Conference level and is the Referees Development Officer at Suffolk FA recently ran the line at the Histon against Leeds and West Ham versus Barnsley FA Cup fixtures – and he taught the classes.
The half-day of learning was part of a ‘Young Leaders’ qualification that a selection of Otley sports students are currently studying.
For this particular lesson, the students were taught the laws of the game, refereeing duties, cautions, sending offs and the offside rule.
This occurred via a mixture of classroom based teaching along with practical outdoor sessions.
Section Leader for Sport, Paul Appleby, said: “These qualifications are among a number of additional certificates that our students learn as part of the National Diploma that they are studying.
“The idea is to give the learners a host of different experiences and qualifications so that they have a better chance of gaining employment when they have finished the course.
“Because of Simon’s background and experiences at top level football, he instantly commanded respect and the students learnt a great deal. A referee’s job is not easy because you have to make instant decisions under the most intense pressure, and our learners now realise what a tough job it is, thanks to realistic scenarios that Simon created.”
The FA is currently running an initiative called Respect. It is a programme of activities aimed at combating unacceptable behaviour in the game at every level - on the pitch and from the sidelines.
Simon added: “The Respect Programme is just one of a number of initiatives being run to help make the game more enjoyable and encourage more people to get involved.”
“We currently have a shortage of referees in Suffolk, but with the help and support available to new referees through the Mentor Scheme and Referees Academy, as well as the opportunities to progress to the highest level of the game, there has never been a better time to start refereeing.”