Thanks to financial backing from Taylor and Emmet, the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA is organising a recruitment drive to boost the number of referees in the region.

Taylor and Emmet’s sponsorship has been doubled by SportsMatch – an organisation aimed at encouraging grassroots sport by matching commercial investment. The money will now be used to help achieve the County FA’s aim of providing a qualified referee for all local affiliated football matches.

Pictured above are Uriah Rennie, Keith Hackett and Howard Webb, along with Katie Hemming, James Hope-Gill (CEO of Sheffield FA), Garry Dickinson (of Taylor and Emmet) and Ryan Hall after the announcement of the decision.

Jonathan Stittle, a litigation partner at Taylor and Emmet and a keen football fan, commented: “This is an opportunity to make a difference in the world of grassroots football and to support the County FA in its bid to tackle the issues facing our beautiful game.

"Football cannot survive without referees, just as the world cannot survive without solicitors and we hope this initiative will encourage more people to get involved.”

The number of people training as football referees is now at an all time low, whilst more games are being played than ever before. Currently, 30 per cent of affiliated adult football matches do not have a qualified referee. Over 500 new referees are needed immediately just to cover adult matches every weekend.

James Hope-Gill, Chief Executive of the County FA, said: “This is the first referee recruitment campaign to have solid financial backing from a local firm of solicitors, yet this is a national crisis in football.

 

"We are doing everything we can to encourage people to become referees and Taylor and Emmet has understood and backed this campaign to ensure the future of football in our region.

"There are approximatley 120,000 people involved in grassroots football every weekend in the area and it’s fantastic to see Taylor and Emmet putting something back into the community in this positive way.”

Referees perform a vital role in football and with the growth in popularity of the game, particularly among women and children the demand for match officials is increasing.

Robin Hodgkinson of SportsMatch added: “I am thrilled that SportsMatch played a part in encouraging Taylor and Emmet to invest in grassroots football. It is vital that sports receive investment at this level and this campaign can certainly help address the serious issue of recruiting more people to pick up the whistle.”

Taylor and Emmet Solicitors offers a full range of business and private client legal services. For further information telephone (0114) 218 4000 or visit www.tayloremmet.co.uk. For details about the County FA’s recruitment drive for referees contact Craig Grundy at the Sheffield amd Hallamshire County FA on (0114) 2414992, download the brochure by clicking here or visit www.sheffieldfa.com.