Yesterday evening it was confirmed that for the first time ever – isn’t it exciting – referees in the Championship will be full time for the 2016/17 season.
For the first time in English football, the EFL and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have announced that referee’s at the Championship level – Select Group 2 – will be professional and full time, and will no longer have to attempt to decide the outcome of a game worth potentially millions whilst holding down jobs as bakers, bankers, or whatever else they do in their private time.
18 referees have been selected for this season, with 36 assistants to make up Select Group 2 and in making them full time, with financial support from all 24 Championship clubs, it’s hoped it will lead to greater communication between officials and clubs, and also an uplift in the quality of decision making to improve consistency on the pitch.
The selection process was four pronged and tasks involved match day preparation ability, possible scenarios ahead of kick off, a formal interview and communication and engagement with a first team manager following a game. Scores from the tests accounted for 50% of their assessment vote with the remaining 50% coming from performance levels in the job over the past three seasons.
Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey explained.
‘The job of a referee has always been an unforgiving one and today, more than at any other point in the history of our competitions, they face increasing scrutiny over how they perform and the split second decisions they make. Therefore, there has to be a collective responsibility between The EFL and PGMOL to ensure we prepare our officials in the most appropriate way. The introduction of Select Group 2 will do this as we continue to look at ways of improving officiating standards. The expectations that were being placed on some our officials were exceptionally unfair, given the fact they may have been holding down a demanding full-time job during the week and then being asked to referee a game at the weekend that could have significant consequences for managers, players and supporters. Now, they will have the opportunity to meet regularly, share learnings and devote more time to their profession that will only serve to improve consistency on the pitch.’
As well as these changes, the EFL took the opportunity to clarify the restrictions on selections.
Match officials cannot participate in some games if the following boxes are ticked.
Reside in the same town or city as either club;
Have played for any of the participating clubs at youth, under-21 (reserve) or senior level;
Take an active interest in a club (season/match ticket currently or previously);
Have personal connections with a participating club.
The 18 referees selected for the coming campaign are.
James Adcock:
Qualified in 2000 aged 16, following in his father`s footsteps, who also officiated in the EFL. Adcock was appointed to the EFL as an assistant referee in 2008 and to the National List of Referees in 2011/12. In his five seasons at this level he has refereed over 150 EFL matches. He has also participated in the PGMO exchange programme which enable referees to gain experience of different football cultures. He has refereed games in America, Japan, China, Iceland and Denmark, enabling him to share experiences with international colleagues and learn new skills.
Peter Bankes:
Began refereeing in Liverpool in 1996, aged 14. Bankes was subsequently appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2014, prior to which he spent two years as a Select Group Assistant Referee, which included his appointment to the FA Cup semi-final between Wigan Athletic and Millwall. He refereed the National League Play-Off Final at Wembley in 2014. In his two seasons on the Referees List he has overseen two Play-Off semi-finals and was the fourth official for the FA Vase Final at Wembley in May.
Darren Bond:
Bond comes from a footballing family. After taking up the whistle at 15, he has progressed to the Select Group 2 referees list armed with 20 years of refereeing experience, which included a year as an assistant referee in the Premier League.
David Coote:
A former Select Group assistant referee, Coote was appointed as an EFL referee in 2010. He has officiated at Wembley four times, and took charge of the FA Vase Final and League One Play-Off Final in 2014. As part of the PGMO exchange programme he has visited Japan, refereeing two senior matches and acting as fourth official in other games. A talented cricketer, David played cricket for Notts at various youth age groups, before committing to his refereeing career.
Andy Davies:
A former player with a number of clubs at youth level, Davies capitalised on this experience to make a rapid rise through the refereeing ranks. He was appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2012/13 and since then has refereed over 100 EFL matches.
Scott Duncan:
Duncan started his career as an EFL referee in 2012/13, taking charge of Port Vale versus Barnet. Since then he has refereed more than 100 matches, including both League One and League Two Play-Off semi-finals and a Southern Area Final of the EFL Trophy.
Geoff Eltringham:
A talented footballer in his youth, Eltringham started refereeing aged 16. He was appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2009/10, and was the fourth official in the League Two Play-Off Final between Bradford City and Northampton Town 2013.
Simon Hooper:
An EFL referee for eight years, Hooper has refereed over 100 Championship games. He took charge of the League Two Play-Off Final between Wycombe Wanderers and Southend United in May 2015.
Tony Harrington:
Harrington began refereeing in the Teesside Junior Football Alliance at the age of 14, having completed a basic refereeing course whilst at school as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award. After four years as an EFL assistant referee and four years as a National League referee, he was appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2012/13 and has now overseen more than 100 EFL matches.
Chris Kavanagh:
Kavanagh started refereeing in 1998 at the age of 13. Sixteen years later, he was appointed to the EFL Referees List and has now refereed over 50 EFL matches, including more than 20 Championship games. As part of the PGMO development programme, he officiated in the Dallas Cup in 2014 and was appointed as the fourth official for the FA Vase Final at Wembley in 2015.
Oli Langford:
Langford is a very experienced match official, with eight seasons as an EFL referee under his belt. As part of the PGMO development programme, he has officiated in the Dallas Cup and Algarve Cup. He has now refereed nearly 200 EFL matches.
James Linington:
Linington is required to make the short trip over from his home on the Isle of Wight when appointed to EFL fixtures. He is a very experienced official having refereed in the EFL for nine seasons. In 2010, he was named fourth official for the FA Trophy Final at Wembley, and returned to the same stadium two weeks later to referee the League Two Play-Off Final between Dagenham and Redbridge and Rotherham United.
Andy Madley:
After an injury playing at Huddersfield Town academy Andy took up the whistle in 2002 at the age of 18. His early career saw him appointed as the assistant referee for the League 1 Play-Off final between Millwall and Swindon Town in 2010. He also ran the line on the Premier League before becoming an EFL referee in 2011. He has twice refereed at Wembley, taking charge of the FA Vase Final in 2015 followed shortly afterwards by refereeing the League 1 Play-Off final between Preston North End and Swindon Town.
Steve Martin:
Martin’s father and grandfather were both EFL officials and encouraged him to take up the whistle in 2002. His rapid rise saw him appointed to the EFL assistant referee list in 2008 and to the National League referee list in the same year. After four years he became an EFL referee, and has since taken charge of more than 150 games. Notable appointments include last season`s League One Play-Off Final, where he was named as fourth official.
Tim Robinson:
Robinson was appointed to the EFL Referees List for the start of the 2012/13 season, taking charge of his first game between Southend United and Accrington Stanley. He was the fourth official at Wembley for the League Two Play-Off Final between AFC Wimbledon and Plymouth Argyle in May 2016. As part of the development programme, he represented the PGMOL at the Dallas Cup 2012 and at the Nike Cup in China in 2012.
Jeremy Simpson:
Simpson is a former international assistant referee, who officiated in many Champions League matches and other international fixtures. He opted for a career with the whistle after refereeing the 2012 National League Play-Off Final between York City and Luton Town. He was then appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2012/13 and in his four years on the list has refereed over 100 matches.
Keith Stroud:
Stroud is a vastly experienced referee at this level. His career has seen him become an international FIFA assistant referee, and his highlights include running the line in the 2003 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Southampton. Stroud also served as a Premier League referee for two seasons before returning to the EFL in 2009/10.
Andy Woolmer:
Woolmer was appointed to the Referees List in 2004 and has refereed more than 300 EFL matches. Prior to that, he served as a Premier League assistant referee for three years and ran the line in the 2003 League Cup Final and the FA Community Shield in the same year. He was the referee for last season`s thrilling EFL Trophy Final between Barnsley and Oxford United.
