Referees
Robin Raymond
13/08/09 16:35
My name is Robin Raymond; I qualified as a referee just over a year ago, last April to be precise. I got on to the referees course by my dads friend who was a football league referee in the 70’s. I asked me mam for my 16th birthday to buy me a kit, so I got my birthday present early as I did my very first game at Ferryhill Town Youth on the 4th May 2008. I was crapping myself; there must have been 100-150 people there. I had to do a minutes silence for one of the players father had just died. I feel I gained a hell of respect when I blow the whistle for the start and finish of the minute. As I blow the whistle for the kick off the first person I saw was my dad, he must have felt so proud to see his son refereeing my first match ever. Grangetown beat Ferryhill 6-1, and no arguments at the end of the game. Durham FA don’t like you doing adult games when you are 16, but I thought what the hell and my first adult game was Kitchen Magic v. Jolly Potters at Silksworth on the Astroturf. It was a horrible rainy day.
I received a phone call from Mr. Colin Stores who asked me to referee in his league, I was excited and nervous I didn’t know what to say. He gave me a game in the Saturday league so I said yes. With it being my first adult game it was more worrying than my first ever game at Ferryhill. I had hassle through out the game they knew I was newly qualified, and ripped me to shreds. (thanks very much to Colin Stores for give in me the game, more about Colin in a minute.) I had a goalkeeper who looked like Bruce Grobbelaar, working his ticket non-stop. I give a free-kick in the box for a pass back, he went loopy (hahaha, would love to do the game again with the experience I have now). I also give a penalty against him, and he came off his line before the run up and saved it, so I made them retake it and the striker scored this time.
That was enough for any 16 year old referee with no experience. Whilst doing a tournament at Ferryhill I was talking to referees saying I wanted to get more experience and start doing lines. I was told about the Northern League and put straight onto Alan Powles, got my very first game at Guisbourgh Town v. Jarrow Roofing, I was shaking like a leaf standing in the changing rooms, no door between you and the away team I was crapping myself. I got 68 for my first assessments don’t think that is too bad. My first yellow card came in a Sunderland Sunday League game at Thompson’s Park, Blue Bell v. Washington Nostalgia Marble. Blue Bell won 4-0, and one of the goals was a penalty, I had to caution a 7 foot 5 inches monster of a goalkeeper, for a foul in the box. I was so nervous.
Another Northern League went past at Washington, and another 4 games for the Sunderland Sunday League, I did a game at Ferryhill. They where playing Acklam FC, a lad was going on and on, then he went to far and the final straight was the foul abusive language directed at another player, so I sent him off. 29th of November and I was given a match at the academy of light as referee one of my proudest moments. Sunderland were playing Lisburn from Northern Ireland it finished 4-4 after Sunderland winning 4-0 at half-time. I gave my first red card as lines man at Thornaby they where playing Crook Town, as the referee was dealing with the incident I seen a little dispute between a player off both teams. As there was multiple Crook players I couldn’t identify the Crook player but I could see the Thornaby player as he was the only one in a blue shirt for miles. I waited till the ref turned round I stood with me flag up and told the ref what happened, he took the only route for the incident and sent the player off. My first Ernest Armstrong Cup game was Sunderland RCA v. Thornaby, a cold night when both my ankles packed in. The next day I went to the doctors and was told that I had twisted all the ligaments in my ankles, and not to referee for at least a month. However, refereeing come before any injury, so my next game was 5 days later. A couple of weeks before the Sunderland RCA game I was supposed to do a game on a Saturday, got the appended fixtures and said I had no games. Well of course this broke my heart. I phoned Alan Powles and asked what I had done to be taken off the game. But I got a nice surprise and was told I was doing a top of the table clash Esh Winning v. Horden, Esh where top and Horden 2nd. This was a nice surprise to get this game and I must have done something right to get it, I was told I would be with Neal Patterson and Kevin Raine a conference league linesman. The game was going well, a cross came in for Horden and the striker was offside just as I put my flag up he scored. But, I can say I got the decision 100% correct. 28th March I was at North Shields v. Whickham, I had first met Paul Nicholson a couple of weeks earlier. As I was getting changed I was having banter with Billy Dowens the other assistant, and as I was putting on my blue undershorts, Paul walked in and I got ripped to shreds about them being my mams bloomers. How Billy laughed, all I got from Billy was,
“What goes around comes around.”
Thanks Billy mate. I had a Sunderland Sunday League game Wearside Wildcats v. Pure FC, what a game it finished 4-4 and I got a 90 off both teams some performance like hahaha. That night I was sitting on my girlfriend’s laptop looking at my emails when I had one from Alan Powles ‘appended fixtures’, so looking through I see:
This went great, I had been with Frank before but what an afternoon that’s was. I really enjoyed the trip there; I can say I got everything right on that night. So after all the running about and hard work you go in the bar area and get a bowl of soup!!!!!
I thought this was going to be my biggest game of the season, however I was wrong. Colin Stores phoned me up and told me I had the SJR Cup Final on the line. I had my first cup final in my first season, I couldn’t ask for more. So I was with my fellow RA members Paul Younger and Kieran Mersh, I had a great night, with an easy game with Wearside Wildcats running out 6-1 winners over Hetton Town. I was asked to do a charity game for Hall Farm at Herrington C.W. How fun my first charity game, the legends were getting beat 3-2 until I give 5 penalty’s in the last minute and they only scored the last one ( I know they are old but how way man 1 goal in 5 chances.) Anyway they shared the trophy. Another phone call off Colin Stores asking me if I would like to do the College County Cup Final on the line, Graham Fyvie was in the middle and James Simpson on the other line. It would have been easier if we knew who the two teams where!!!! The only time I found out was when they where getting presented with the trophy! 11th May, I sent a text to all the referees and assistants I had been with during the season to say thank you. Gary McMullan who I went to Whitehaven sent one back saying have you had confirmation about games at St. James Park. Or My God this was the biggest thing in my refereeing career to date, the 11th May was a special day being my birthday and you couldn’t ask for a better present than being told you are going to referee at St. James Park. Being a Newcastle United fan with a Sunderland season ticket was hard not to jump up and down when Newcastle scored, and not to cry when they got beat 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. So went to St. James Park on the 17th May for the tournament called Play on the Pitch where teams got to play there for the small fee of £1100 (hahaha). The turnover for the 10 days was supposed to be around £100,000 (not bad for a Championship Club). I did 8 games over the 10 days, what an experience 17 years old walking out at your favourite ground you cannot ask for more.
I was making programmes for Colin Stores for his cup finals, the last cup final and halfway through the programme my printer at work gives up the will to live. Wasn’t so bad working for me dad, I just placed the blame on my brother hahaha. I told Colin that if I couldn’t do his programmes I would be 4th Official; hopefully I helped James Simpson, Lee Brennan and Colin Archbold, with the subs, goals and cautions.
I have big thanks for Colin Stores, Billy Dowens, my dad (for the time off work), Alan Powles and every referee I have been with this season. For example, Mark Moore, Kevin McKitterick, James Simpson, Frank Campbell, Gary McMullan to name a few. I also have to thank the Durham and Sunderland RA’s with all help and support. I look up at Geoff Eltringham and Martin Coy, thinking I can achieve what they have in a few years. I have to say a massive thank you to Colin Stores; he has given me my opportunity to referee every Sunday without failure. The support and advice I receive off Colin is brilliant and I couldn’t ask for more. I will always have a soft spot for the league as if it wasn’t for the league I wouldn’t have gotten my 6 games in.
I received a phone call from Mr. Colin Stores who asked me to referee in his league, I was excited and nervous I didn’t know what to say. He gave me a game in the Saturday league so I said yes. With it being my first adult game it was more worrying than my first ever game at Ferryhill. I had hassle through out the game they knew I was newly qualified, and ripped me to shreds. (thanks very much to Colin Stores for give in me the game, more about Colin in a minute.) I had a goalkeeper who looked like Bruce Grobbelaar, working his ticket non-stop. I give a free-kick in the box for a pass back, he went loopy (hahaha, would love to do the game again with the experience I have now). I also give a penalty against him, and he came off his line before the run up and saved it, so I made them retake it and the striker scored this time.
That was enough for any 16 year old referee with no experience. Whilst doing a tournament at Ferryhill I was talking to referees saying I wanted to get more experience and start doing lines. I was told about the Northern League and put straight onto Alan Powles, got my very first game at Guisbourgh Town v. Jarrow Roofing, I was shaking like a leaf standing in the changing rooms, no door between you and the away team I was crapping myself. I got 68 for my first assessments don’t think that is too bad. My first yellow card came in a Sunderland Sunday League game at Thompson’s Park, Blue Bell v. Washington Nostalgia Marble. Blue Bell won 4-0, and one of the goals was a penalty, I had to caution a 7 foot 5 inches monster of a goalkeeper, for a foul in the box. I was so nervous.
Another Northern League went past at Washington, and another 4 games for the Sunderland Sunday League, I did a game at Ferryhill. They where playing Acklam FC, a lad was going on and on, then he went to far and the final straight was the foul abusive language directed at another player, so I sent him off. 29th of November and I was given a match at the academy of light as referee one of my proudest moments. Sunderland were playing Lisburn from Northern Ireland it finished 4-4 after Sunderland winning 4-0 at half-time. I gave my first red card as lines man at Thornaby they where playing Crook Town, as the referee was dealing with the incident I seen a little dispute between a player off both teams. As there was multiple Crook players I couldn’t identify the Crook player but I could see the Thornaby player as he was the only one in a blue shirt for miles. I waited till the ref turned round I stood with me flag up and told the ref what happened, he took the only route for the incident and sent the player off. My first Ernest Armstrong Cup game was Sunderland RCA v. Thornaby, a cold night when both my ankles packed in. The next day I went to the doctors and was told that I had twisted all the ligaments in my ankles, and not to referee for at least a month. However, refereeing come before any injury, so my next game was 5 days later. A couple of weeks before the Sunderland RCA game I was supposed to do a game on a Saturday, got the appended fixtures and said I had no games. Well of course this broke my heart. I phoned Alan Powles and asked what I had done to be taken off the game. But I got a nice surprise and was told I was doing a top of the table clash Esh Winning v. Horden, Esh where top and Horden 2nd. This was a nice surprise to get this game and I must have done something right to get it, I was told I would be with Neal Patterson and Kevin Raine a conference league linesman. The game was going well, a cross came in for Horden and the striker was offside just as I put my flag up he scored. But, I can say I got the decision 100% correct. 28th March I was at North Shields v. Whickham, I had first met Paul Nicholson a couple of weeks earlier. As I was getting changed I was having banter with Billy Dowens the other assistant, and as I was putting on my blue undershorts, Paul walked in and I got ripped to shreds about them being my mams bloomers. How Billy laughed, all I got from Billy was,
“What goes around comes around.”
Thanks Billy mate. I had a Sunderland Sunday League game Wearside Wildcats v. Pure FC, what a game it finished 4-4 and I got a 90 off both teams some performance like hahaha. That night I was sitting on my girlfriend’s laptop looking at my emails when I had one from Alan Powles ‘appended fixtures’, so looking through I see:
This went great, I had been with Frank before but what an afternoon that’s was. I really enjoyed the trip there; I can say I got everything right on that night. So after all the running about and hard work you go in the bar area and get a bowl of soup!!!!!
I thought this was going to be my biggest game of the season, however I was wrong. Colin Stores phoned me up and told me I had the SJR Cup Final on the line. I had my first cup final in my first season, I couldn’t ask for more. So I was with my fellow RA members Paul Younger and Kieran Mersh, I had a great night, with an easy game with Wearside Wildcats running out 6-1 winners over Hetton Town. I was asked to do a charity game for Hall Farm at Herrington C.W. How fun my first charity game, the legends were getting beat 3-2 until I give 5 penalty’s in the last minute and they only scored the last one ( I know they are old but how way man 1 goal in 5 chances.) Anyway they shared the trophy. Another phone call off Colin Stores asking me if I would like to do the College County Cup Final on the line, Graham Fyvie was in the middle and James Simpson on the other line. It would have been easier if we knew who the two teams where!!!! The only time I found out was when they where getting presented with the trophy! 11th May, I sent a text to all the referees and assistants I had been with during the season to say thank you. Gary McMullan who I went to Whitehaven sent one back saying have you had confirmation about games at St. James Park. Or My God this was the biggest thing in my refereeing career to date, the 11th May was a special day being my birthday and you couldn’t ask for a better present than being told you are going to referee at St. James Park. Being a Newcastle United fan with a Sunderland season ticket was hard not to jump up and down when Newcastle scored, and not to cry when they got beat 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. So went to St. James Park on the 17th May for the tournament called Play on the Pitch where teams got to play there for the small fee of £1100 (hahaha). The turnover for the 10 days was supposed to be around £100,000 (not bad for a Championship Club). I did 8 games over the 10 days, what an experience 17 years old walking out at your favourite ground you cannot ask for more.
I was making programmes for Colin Stores for his cup finals, the last cup final and halfway through the programme my printer at work gives up the will to live. Wasn’t so bad working for me dad, I just placed the blame on my brother hahaha. I told Colin that if I couldn’t do his programmes I would be 4th Official; hopefully I helped James Simpson, Lee Brennan and Colin Archbold, with the subs, goals and cautions.
I have big thanks for Colin Stores, Billy Dowens, my dad (for the time off work), Alan Powles and every referee I have been with this season. For example, Mark Moore, Kevin McKitterick, James Simpson, Frank Campbell, Gary McMullan to name a few. I also have to thank the Durham and Sunderland RA’s with all help and support. I look up at Geoff Eltringham and Martin Coy, thinking I can achieve what they have in a few years. I have to say a massive thank you to Colin Stores; he has given me my opportunity to referee every Sunday without failure. The support and advice I receive off Colin is brilliant and I couldn’t ask for more. I will always have a soft spot for the league as if it wasn’t for the league I wouldn’t have gotten my 6 games in.
Congratulations
14/05/09 13:16
Sunderland Referees Association and its members would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our members who were successful in achieving promotion and those appointed to County Cup Finals.
Level 2 to 1
Geoff Eltringham – (National Group of Referees – Football League)
Promotion to National List of Assistant Referees – Football League
Danny Markham
Jonathon Hunt
Level 6 to 5
James Simpson
Gary Hargreaves
Level 7-6
Lloyd Thompson
Cup Finals
Lloyd Thompson – Referee under 14’s
Geoff Eltringham – 4th official FA Sunday Cup
Level 2 to 1
Geoff Eltringham – (National Group of Referees – Football League)
Promotion to National List of Assistant Referees – Football League
Danny Markham
Jonathon Hunt
Level 6 to 5
James Simpson
Gary Hargreaves
Level 7-6
Lloyd Thompson
Cup Finals
Lloyd Thompson – Referee under 14’s
Geoff Eltringham – 4th official FA Sunday Cup