The conference is the brainchild of former Premier League Referee David Elleray who will be joined by Mike Riley and Steve Bennett for a combination of practical and theoretical sessions, demonstrating The FA's commitment to the development of young referees.

The inspirational theme of the weekend is borne out by Elleray's following statistic:

"These referees have the skills to represent the next generation of senior referees in this country, and I will be telling them that out of one hundred, twenty will go on to officiate in The Football League, six will be future FA Cup final officials, and one will go on to officiate at a World Cup Final.

Commenting on the selection of the young delegates, Elleray said:

"These young referees represent every corner of the country, and were nominated by their County Associations. They’ve already demonstrated that they have the potential to rise up the refereeing ladder, and we hope that the course will educate, and more importantly motivate them as they strive to reach the highest level."

Referees perform a vital role in the game, and with the growth in the popularity of football, particularly for women and children, the demand for match officials is increasing. The FA estimates that in some areas of the country, 20 per cent of games are played without a qualified match official.

The FA has launched an initiative to recruit more men and women referees and to support them throughout their careers, with a goal of recruiting 10,000 referees a year to ensure that, in future, every game has a qualified official who is receiving regular training and support from an FA mentor.

And because it takes time for a referee to reach the top, The FA is particularly keen to recruit young people between 18 and 25 years old, with the dream of refereeing an FA Cup Final and wearing the famous Three Lions on their shirt.

If you would like more information about how you can get involved in refereeing, contact your local County FA, or please contact: FAMOA@TheFA.com or 020 7745 4651.