I am often asked how referees progress.
It's not always phrased so politely, more like, 'How the hell
did that referee get on the Football League?'. To which my
answer is 'with lots of hard work over many years'.
We have just finished another referees
course in Reading with twenty two candidates passing the oral
and written examinations. They will become Level 7 referees or
Level 8 if they are under sixteen. Level 8 referees are only
eligible to referee youth games, such as the South Chiltem
Minor League. Level 7 on the other hand will be able to take
games in the Reading Saturday and Sunday Leagues or other
Feeder Leagues.
If they wish to progress and we hope
they will, they will try to gain promotion to Level 6 and then
to Level 5. To do this they will have to referee at least
twenty matches in a season and run five lines. Whilst
refereeing, they be assessed by at least three different
ex-referees who have trained as assessors. The referees also
have to attend a promotion seminar and pass another written
examination on the Laws of the Game.
And they still won't be out of local
football. If they want to progress into more senior football,
first they will have to become an assistant referee on one of
the leagues above, which are known as Supply Leagues, whilst
still refereeing locally. In this area these include the
Hellenic, Spartan, Combined Counties and Suburban Leagues. To
progress to referee on these leagues, they need to be promoted
to Level 4, This will depend on the markings they receive
whilst refereeing on the local leagues and, more dreaded than
another examination, they have to take a fitness test.
This whole process will have to be gone
through again if they want to progress to Level 3 which means
they can take games in Contributory Leagues such as Rymans and
Dr. Martins. They have to run the line at the league
level above the one in which they referee but it will be their
performance as a referee on the lower league that will
determine if they make the step up.
All the while their performance is being
watched by more trained assessors and the fitness test gets
harder. The next step follows exactly the same procedure and
would take the referee to Level 2 when he would be refereeing
what are known as Panel Leagues. You might recognise them as
the Nationwide Conference and Football Combination. From there
the progress is to Level 1, which means the referee will
referee at Nationwide Football League level.
There are two more steps for referees
who want to reach the pinnacle of refereeing. First the Select
List. These are Premiership referees who receive a salary of
£49,000 a year from the FA, plus a fee for each match.
Finally there is the greatest prize of all, the FIFA
badge.
To be honest not many achieve these
heights. In Reading, we have only one member who is Level 1,
lain Williamson and Paul Armstrong who belongs to Newbury
Society is another Berkshire Level 1.
Many referees start too late to make it
up the ladder and enjoy refereeing local football but often
referees have said to me, 'Why didn't I stop playing
earlier?'.
The first step is the referees course
and examination. Here in Reading it takes twelve weeks of
Monday evenings, which includes the two examinations plus two
Sunday mornings for practical sessions. The cost for over 16s
is £30 but this is refunded after ten 11- a-side games have
been refereed. The next course starts in September but if you
would like to take part, you need to get your name down as
soon as possible for places are already filling up. Ring Brian
Wratten on (0118) 978 2681. But be prepared for some hard
work.
Dick Sawdon Smith