Simon says

Simon Long is a an active Level 2 referee and the Referee Development Officer for Suffolk FA. Here we interview him on his role and his refereeing career so far.

When and why did you take up refereeing?

I spent my first couple of years at High School sitting on the bench and hardly got a game. They always needed someone to run the line and having done it a couple of times, I found I enjoyed it.

My Dad knew Terry Thacker (now Essex RDO) from when Terry used to referee his games. He gave Terry a call only to find that I wasn’t allowed to take the course until I was 14.

After a year of waiting impatiently, I passed the course in November 1996 and have never looked back.

What are your aims as a referee?

To perform to the best of my ability in every game, whether it is as referee, assistant referee or fourth official. I then consider any advice from assessors, coaches, colleagues or friends and take this into my next game as I’m always looking to improve my performance.

It might be a cliché, but I just take one game at a time and try to make the most of it as you never know what’s around the corner.

Ultimately, I’d like to make it to the top and referee in the Premier League, which I never thought would be a realistic aim when I first started refereeing. If someone told me that at 26, I’d be going into my second season as a National List Assistant and starting my first season as a Panel Referee, I wouldn’t have believed them. It just goes to show there are some incredible opportunities for people of all ages who get into refereeing and want to progress.

What would you say are the top three attributes required to be a good referee?

Man-management – a large proportion of refereeing is about managing people and managing a game of football. Every referee will have their own style, but if it’s effective it can go a long way to making your game a successful one.

Communication – to be a good man-manager you need to be able to communicate your message effectively, whether it is with whistle, voice, signals or body language.

Determination – there will be highs and lows in anyone’s refereeing 'career' and whilst it’s easy to enjoy the good times, the ability to bounce back when things don’t go well is essential. Whilst it’s not a pleasant experience, we learn more when things don’t go well and come back bigger and stronger, as a better referee.

What attracted you to the post of Referee Development Officer?

Having worked for my previous employer for nearly seven years, I felt the time had come to move on and I needed a new challenge. I’d always wanted a job in football and I thought the role presented me with a big challenge personally, but also a real opportunity to make a difference to something I am very passionate about, grassroots refereeing.

What has been your biggest success to date as RDO?

One of the biggest issues facing most counties is retaining our existing referees. Many of us are finding that we are losing more referees than we are able to train each season, so reversing that trend was a priority for me.

At the end of the season, we sent out 461 registration forms and already have 424 referees re-registered, with forms still arriving on a daily basis. This compares to 301 re-registered at the same time last year.

By having a full-time role dedicated to referees, I am able to work with people on an individual basis, offering them the support and training they need, as well as addressing issues or concerns to make sure their games are successful and enjoyable. The personal touch, making our referees feel valued, cannot be underestimated.

What currently is the biggest challenge in terms of refereeing that you face in your County?

The biggest challenge for us is one which I believe is also a national challenge, and that is to change the negative perception of refereeing.

We are slowly seeing a change of mindset and people are becoming sympathetic to the referee's cause, but unfortunately controversy sells newspapers. We need to do more to raise awareness and to win hearts and minds.

Improving behaviour towards referees and changing the perception of refereeing will help us to sell refereeing to the next generation of referees.

What are you doing in Suffolk to recruit more referees?

The two biggest criticisms of becoming a referee was that it took too long and no-one knew when and where courses were being held.

Firstly, we’ve changed the Basic Referees Course, which historically ran over seven to eight midweek evenings, followed by having to referee six matches and attend one final session. From beginning to end, it was taking most people around four months to complete their qualification.

We found that people were losing interest during the course, so our courses now run over two consecutive Sundays, followed by having to referee six matches and then attend one final session. People can now complete their qualification in around six weeks.

Secondly, I’ve put together a comprehensive programme of courses around the county throughout the season. These are already published on www.suffolkfa.com, in our County Magazine 'Extra Time'  and various other publications. So, anyone wanting to become a referee knows how, where and when they can get involved.

How can we ensure we retain more referees?

Better training and support for our referees. Historically, we have trained referees in the classroom and then sent them out onto the field of play with no further training or support.

With RDOs now employed in nearly every county, we have regular contact with all our referees, ensuring they are mentored during the early stages of their career as well as providing appropriate support and training where needed.

Referees have also suffered from poor behaviour of players, managers and supporters, but if everyone buys into the forthcoming 'Respect' programme, this will not only help us to retain referees but also make football a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Who do you admire most in the refereeing world?

Mick Thorpe, a National List Referee from Suffolk. A genuinely nice guy and very understated. Gets the job done quietly with minimum fuss and I’ve never found anyone who has a bad word to say about him.

He’s had a big influence on my career, taking time to watch me as I came up through the levels, has picked me up when things have gone wrong and wasn’t frightened to tell me a few home-truths when needed.

A good friend and top guy; I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

What has been the best game you have officiated?

Chelmsford City against AFC Wimbledon in March 2008. Both teams were going for the Isthmian League Premier Division title, a cracking game of end-to-end football, in which both teams led, before Chelmsford went onto win 3-2. The game was played in front of over 3,200 very noisy supporters.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

In refereeing terms, I’d like to think that I will have made it to National List of Referees.

From a job point of view, our contracts as RDOs are all tied into the National Game Strategy 2008–2012, so in five years, who knows. I hope that by making the role a success and exceeding our targets, The FA will see the value of RDOs and use our success to justify extending our contracts further.