MattyontheWhistle
RefChat Addict
Thought I'd drop in here and introduce myself before jumping in to some of the discussions.
I live in New Zealand, and qualified last season with NZ Football.
I did the ref course because I was coaching a junior team (u10s) and wanted to understand the game from a ref's POV to help the kids along. It felt like I had discovered a whole new sport!
As a youngster, I had played to a decent level was in the Burnley FC youth set up for a while, and have been involved in the game for 30+ years in one way or another - even 15 years working at Sky Sports and getting 'paid to watch football' as the wife would always say!
Still play a bit, at a social level for my local club, but really enjoying the refereeing as well and considering hanging up the playing boots finally.
Currently I am a Level 1 Referee, but hoping to reach Level 2 this season coming, which is an assessment-based promotion and possibly going for Level 3 in time for season 2014 which will enable me to ref at Federation level. (Football here has only one 'National League', and below that is 'North Isalnd/South island' regionals, which are in turn split into regional Federations - 7 in total)
So that's me!
I live in New Zealand, and qualified last season with NZ Football.
I did the ref course because I was coaching a junior team (u10s) and wanted to understand the game from a ref's POV to help the kids along. It felt like I had discovered a whole new sport!
As a youngster, I had played to a decent level was in the Burnley FC youth set up for a while, and have been involved in the game for 30+ years in one way or another - even 15 years working at Sky Sports and getting 'paid to watch football' as the wife would always say!
Still play a bit, at a social level for my local club, but really enjoying the refereeing as well and considering hanging up the playing boots finally.
Currently I am a Level 1 Referee, but hoping to reach Level 2 this season coming, which is an assessment-based promotion and possibly going for Level 3 in time for season 2014 which will enable me to ref at Federation level. (Football here has only one 'National League', and below that is 'North Isalnd/South island' regionals, which are in turn split into regional Federations - 7 in total)
So that's me!
and players always seem to accuse me of the opposite 
