End of Season End of Career

Another football season has come to an end and another referee has hung up his boots. Lawrence Sammut who has been an MFA referee since 1981 and controlled two hundred Premier League matches has decided to give up the whistle in top matches to concentrate more on running the Malta Football Referees Association , whose President he has been for the past two years and to impart his experience on the younger pool of referees who constantly need guidance and care.

Lorry as he is popularly known is by virtue of his office a member of the Referees Board and so already knows the ins and outs of football administration when it comes to referees and refereeing. I have no doubt that Lorry will continue to serve the refereeing community in retirement as he did both  locally and internationally for the past  25 years – no mean feat.                                                                                                                                        

Season 2005/06 had its ups and down where refereeing comes in but the ups far outweighed the downs. Naturally people only seem to talk about the Premier Division because that is the showpiece of our Leagues but we must remember that referees start in the Youth League and make their way up the ladder to reach the Premier and a select few the FIFA Panel of Referees or Assistant Referees. Many young referees have made their mark this season in all divisions and the Referees Board always takes these things into consideration when taking decisions on such matters such as promotions.

The Board relies on the Match Inspectors reports and the personal assessment which is made by members of the Board who regularly attend matches in all divisions. The Referees Board has to be give due importance to the lower divisions as it is from here that we will have to choose the top referees of the future.

The Malta FA Referees Board does not take the summer off. In fact in the first week of August the annual three day meeting with a top FIFA/UEFA lecturer in attendance ensures that referees are kept up to date with any changes have taken place in the Laws of the Game, however minimal they may be. All referees get circulars regarding any changes or guidelines but these are not enough. Throughout the season meetings are held where our lecturers guide referees and the cherry on the cake is the presence of a senior lecturer from overseas. Our lecturers have all been through the mill and have international experience which they pass on to local referees.

With the World Cup coming up let’s all have a look at the referees and assistants chosen for this fantastic tournament but I assure you that every reader will acknowledge that our referees may not have been selected for Germany but they are as good if not better than many officiating there