If you're looking for an enjoyable, healthy and rewarding role in football refereeing could be for you.
It's official - football needs more referees
If you're looking for an enjoyable, healthy and rewarding role in football, refereeing could be for you.
There are now 6,000 more referees than there were four years ago and the figures are on the rise.
The Respect campaign, which launched in 2008, has had a positive impact on refereeing, with 56% of respondents to a recent survey telling the FA their experience of officiating has improved since the programme began.
But the FA are still eager to attract more people to take up refereeing.
"The Respect campaign has had a positive impact on local football as well as within the professional game," said Ian Blanchard, FA Senior National Referee Manager.
"At the end of last season we had just over 29,500 referees. We recruit 7,000 new referees every year and fundamentally what's happened is we are now retaining more of those people.
"Whereas previously, prior to 2008, we'd only retain about 20-25% of those new referees, we are now retaining 60%."
At Chesterfield College a referees' awareness course is offered as part of a 'Sports Leadership Award', which gives youngsters the chance to take their first step on the refereeing ladder. The course is the only one of its kind in the country and students leave the academy with the skills to officiate at grassroots level, before hopefully embarking on a journey to the Premier League.
Brad Jones, a trainee referee at the college, finds refereeing a rewarding experience. "I've been refereeing for two years now," he said. "It's a good way of getting into football and sport.
"I enjoy refereeing. People think it's hard and refs get a lot of stick because of what they see on TV but when you're in junior football it's usually all good, it's free-flowing and at the end of the game you shake hands. I'd encourage more people to do it."
'You're an integral part of the game'
One former student of the college went on to become one of the most recognisable faces in English football - Uriah Rennie.
"It's a great life to be involved in," said Rennie, who referred in the Premier League between 1997and 2009. "You're an integral part of the game, you can add value to other people's enjoyment and excitement, there are health-related benefits and you're involved in sport and part of the local community."
And, for the most talented referees there is now a clear route to the top of the game, meaning young refs like Brad Jones can aspire to reach the top.
"If you're good enough, committed enough and motivated enough you could end up being the next Howard Webb," said Blanchard.
"My hope is that more games at grassroots level will be covered by a proper qualified ref and there'll be more opportunities for referees to move through the process, using the National Referee Development Programme and ultimately working their way into the semi-professional and professional game."
Whether you want to referee in the Premier League or the Sunday league, your county's FA wants to hear from you.
Visit the FA's website for more information and do your bit to
Get Into Football.
