We’re into our fourth spotlight of 2019 and this month, we will be celebrating refereeing in Greater Manchester. 

Across May, we’ll be meeting individuals involved in refereeing across the grassroots game and sharing the development work we deliver week in week out to support referees of all ages and levels. County success stories will be celebrated and we will shine a light on the behind-the-scenes work that goes into developing referees through regular meetings, training and events. 

We’ll also speak to members of the Manchester FA team who work directly in referee development to understand the opportunities within the region for anyone interested in getting involved with refereeing. 

Referee Development Officer, Tom Elliott explains: “May is a big month for refereeing in Greater Manchester as the season comes to a close and we have lots of events to deliver, in addition to some huge changes afoot with the introduction of Sin Bins. We want to make an impact with this month’s coverage by positively showcasing our hard-working referee workforce whilst helping people learn more about the role in general.”

“On Friday 17th May, our Annual Referee Dinner takes place at the V&A in Manchester city centre, awarding several prestigious accolades to individuals at different levels of the game and stages of their career. We will have high profile guests from the professional game attending and the event will really help us celebrate the successes of the season and refereeing as a whole, in the county.”

The first event that our media channels will cover will be the New Referee group on the 2nd May, which aims to provide our newest Referees with some ongoing advice, support and development after their first experiences of officiating.  

To join in the conversation, tweet us with the #MCRef and make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@Manchester_FA).