I'm going to try and be a referee!

Wanker, cu*t, bastard... these are some of the delightful phrases that get hurled at the bastion of justice on the pitch, the man in black, the referee. A thankless task that gets harder and harder every year with every mistake, every error, highlighted beyond comprehension on TV and radio. In comfy studios around the country so called pundits analyse football matches to death and often it is the participation of the ref in the game that forms one of the main taking points. Rarely praised, open to criticism, even hatred, the task of the referee to uphold the laws of the game is a hard one indeed.

Which is why I start on a course to be a ref next week.....

Why on earth do I want to become a referee then? What part of me wants to run the gauntlet of abuse they receive each and every match? Why do I want people who I will never meet potentially hate and loath me like no other? These are questions that I’ve asked myself recently and to be honest I have no real answer to them, they’re not even real considerations to me.

I guess part of it for me is the chance to fully understand the laws of the game. So many times have I watched a match and tried to get my head round the current version of the offside trap or trying to work out why someone got sent off for dangerous play – what on earth constitutes dangerous play these days? Is it just missing a tackle, clattering someone from behind or just the old fashion elbow to the head? Have you ever wondered what is the official definition of dissent and if it’s actually worth a yellow card? All these questions and more lurk in the dark and murky corners of my head, my instinctive lust for knowledge on every aspect of the game drives me to obtain as much as I possibly can.

Having never been blessed with athletic prowess or much confidence as a child, football pretty much passed me by in my school days. No one ever wanted the fat kid on their side, especially if his idea of an attacking run was nipping off to the tuck shop when the ball was down the other end! My own personal love of the game was born the day we got Sky Sports into our home and I was exposed to the Premier league in all its pomp and glory. Soon to follow was a trip to Wembley to see England and then regularly seeing games at Fratton Park, home of the mighty Portsmouth. At the time Portsmouth were a poor side in the old division 1 but I was well and truly hooked, giving up countless hours to radio and TV coverage, computer games, magazines, anything that I could get my hands on really. I grew in love with the game and to this very day that love holds still strong.

Seeing if I can become a referee is a chance for me to try and be counted and give something of myself to help the enjoyment of others. All I think of is the beauty of the game and the need for the man in the middle to keep it beautiful. It’s a responsibility I do not take lightly and one that I’m not even sure if I can do. Still, I look forward to the challenge of it and seeing what can happen. Hopefully over the next few weeks I can update you all on my experiences and maybe see you the other side of it all if it all works out well – who knows? My first lesson is next week so will update my blog from week to week with what happens and how I feel. Hopefully it will be an eye opener for us all.

Colin