The FA aim to get another 8,000 referees into the game over the next five years and will be providing the education and support required to any budding officials.
This week saw a group of national journalists head to the Staverton Park Hotel in Northamptonshire to take part in a basic and practical course on refereeing to see just what is required to be a referee or an assistant referee.
Whilst it is easy to make the right decision from the comfort of an armchair or press box with the aid of a television replay, just how straightforward is it when you’re out there on the field with the whistle on you?
That was why The FA invited the aforementioned gentlemen of the press along to experience and Head Of National Referee Development Ian Blanchard (pictured left) was pleased with how it went.
With everyone experiencing a spell as referee and assistant referee in a game between local U16 teams Bugbrooke St.Michaels and Drayton Grange, it was illustrated just how much more there is to refereeing than meets the eye.
“The whole idea of the day is to give the reporters a taste of what it’s like to get into refereeing and start the process of educating people to become referees,” revealed Blanchard.
“If we can raise that awareness, the next time they are writing their articles, they may think ‘hang on, I’ve experienced this’ and take things into account.
“When they were refereeing a game of football for that eight minutes, if they can capture that and remember that, we can only get positives out of it.”
As a former Premier League linesman and Football League referee, Blanchard himself knows more than most how much pressure there is on officials to make the right calls and this has only increased in recent years.
“I’ve been out of the game on a senior level for nearly seven years and in that time the game has totally changed,” he added.
“It’s become more skilful and more technical and players are now fitter than they’ve ever been and likewise, our guys at senior level have had to match the fitness.
“They have had to because they are doing a lot more running around and moving.
“In the game of football, a referee is a fundamental role and without a referee controlling and managing a match, there’d be no game so that’s why we want to increase the number of referees and the standard.”
A great way to get involved in the game and enjoy yourself, absolutely anyone can take up refereeing by simply contacting The FA and letting a local representative guide you through it.
“We have set a target of getting 8,000 active referees and we’re going to do everything in our power to achieve that,” explained Blanchard.
“I have no doubts that by 2012 we will have reached that too. There will be a lot of hard work along the way and we’re just starting out on this.
“We’re going to recruit people and support people who want to be referees.
“We want to encourage people to come in if they show a degree of commitment and motivation and we’ll help them to develop their skills.
“It’s a huge piece of work for us, but one we’re confident of fulfilling."
If you have any questions related to refereeing, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing famoa@thefa.com or by calling 0207 745 4651.
If you'd like to become a referee register your interest by clicking here and a local County FA Referee Development Officer will contact you.
