BUDDING referees aged 14 and above are being presented with a great chance to start out on the exciting road to becoming senior local matchday officials, when Frome Town FC plays host to a five-session series kicking-off in March.
The course, which continues until 1st April, entails comprehensive practical and theory tuition conducted by experienced mentors, leading up to a programme of six competitive fixtures when the fledgling refs are invited to take up the whistle and participate in bona fide action!
Football enthusiasts over the age of 14 – male and female – can participate at an overall cost of £100, which includes flags, whistle, lanyard, cards and book, first-year registration, course booklet and the all-important laws of the game manual.
Somerset FA football development administrator Kieron Salmons, himself a Level 4 referee who, at the age of just 23, is licensed to oversee Toolstation Western League fixtures among other popular local competitions, explained, “Refereeing is a great way of being, quite literally, at the very centre of football matches when you’re maybe not cut-out for actually playing the game.
“So many people who have started out on the bottom rung, which is what this Frome course is all about, have gone on to become high-profile refs, among them our own Somerset official Kevin Johnson, who now referees Football League games, and Lee Probert, a FIFA and Premier League official who used to live in Bridgwater and was called up to FA Cup final duty only last season for the Hull-Arsenal match.
The five sessions commence on Wednesday, 18th March (6.30-9.30pm) and continue on Sunday 22nd March (10.00am-4.30pm), Wednesday 25th March (6.30-9.00pm), Sunday 29th March (10.00am-4.30pm) up until Wednesday 1st April (7.00-9pm).
That final session, on 1st April, incorporates a test on the laws of the game, from which successful participants are awarded their first grading, a Level 9 certificate.
Those awards enable officials to referee local Saturday and Sunday games on a regular basis and even run the line at County League matches.
Anyone wishing to book their place on the course, which takes place at Frome Town’s Blindmans Brewery Stadium, Berkley Road, Frome (BA11 2EH), or discover more about the itinerary, can contact Kieron Salmons on 01458 837033 or email him at kieron.salmons@somersetfa.com