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Leeds football referee interview
They're down there with estate agents and politicians in the popularity stakes, so why would anyone want to be a referee?
As a drive to recruit more football officials gets underway, Grant Woodward speaks to one Leeds whistleblower to get the inside track.
Every Saturday Johnathon Bickerdike laces up his boots and heads out on to the football pitch ready to turn in an another top-notch performance.
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But, unlike the players, for the next 90 minutes he won't get to kick a ball. In fact, Johnathon will consider he's had a good game if no one really notices he's there at all.
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That's because he's a referee. And, like any good whistleblower, he knows it's his job to make sure the game runs smoothly while trying to stay out of the limelight.
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The 19-year-old, from Woodlesford in Leeds, started refereeing four years ago after getting bored with playing the game.
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"I used to be a goalkeeper for Huddersfield Town but I didn't really enjoy it," he says. "So when I was 15 I thought I'd give refereeing a go and signed up for an eight-week course and exam to learn how to do it."
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It helped that Johnathon was following in the footsteps of his dad Geoff, 58, who has been a football ref for 14 years.
"When I was 12 or 13 I would go down and watch dad referee. He's someone who likes being in control and I'm quite similar, which I think is why we're both referees.
"I reckon that's what really attracted me to it. The fact that I'm the one out on the pitch who's making the decisions."
With the UK currently suffering from a serious shortage of referees there has never been a better time to pick up the whistle.
The growth in the popularity of football, particularly for women and children, means the country is crying out for match officials.
The Football Association estimates that in some areas of the country 20 per cent of games are played without a qualified official.
The goal of the FA is to recruit 8,000 new referees by 2012 as well as retain the existing 26,000 officials to ensure that every game has a qualified person on the end of a whistle.
The first stage in becoming a referee is to register with your local County Football Association and then to attend a basic Referees' Course. After that, the sky's pretty much the limit.
Johnathon, who officiates in the West Yorkshire Association, North East Counties, Leeds Combination and Leeds and District leagues, has his sights set on making a career out of what started as a pastime.
"My mate's dad is an assistant referee in the Premier League and that's definitely something I'd like to aim for," he says.
"You learn with every game you referee and even if my game's called off I'll still go and watch another match to see if I can pick up any tips.
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"Whenever there's a game on TV I always find myself watching the referee rather than the game which probably sounds a bit odd but it's really useful for becoming a better ref."
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So what are the benefits of being a referee?
"I think you get out what you put in," says Johnathon. "I do a lot of fitness training and go to the gym four or five times a week.
"You make a day of it and have a drink with the teams afterwards, it's quite a social thing. You meet lots of interesting people.
"And at the end of the day it's a nice feeling to know that without you the game couldn't go ahead. It feels like you're giving something back."
Johnathon also thinks the criticism levelled at referees and the decisions they make is offside.
"Referees see everything from ground level and have to make a decision in a split second," he says. "It's not like watching on TV where you have endless slow motion replays.
"I like to have a laugh with the players and a bit of banter. But if people go too far that's when you have to stamp your authority on proceedings.
"But even with the occasional bit of stick I would still recommend taking up refereeing," he says. "If you can't play football it's a great way of getting involved in the game."
* To find out more about becoming a ref visit www.thefa.com/GetInto Football/Referee
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