Referee

Well, I started officiating at age 19 as a university student, long before my arrival to Canada..

At age 23 I officiated the National Universities Cup Final in front of 12,000 spectators at Keirth stadium; an honorary appointment done, unorthodoxly, by the city mayor. Yes, the mayor.

My real first big game was the day following my 31st birthday, a match that witnessed a 36,000 crowd and of which I still proudly "or egotistically" keep a full page of football magazines and newspaper clippings of media coverage in my scrapbook. And again, it was an honorary appointment by the league chairman while being in the Romania for a short 2 months visit.

Over my officiating career, I have been adopted and qualified by 5 National football Associations in 4 different continents, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. This included two professional contracts one of which was to serve as a National referee development director, and in charge of training and assessing international and national referees in the Arabian Gulf for 3 years. 1995-1998.

I made grade 1 referee for the first time at age 28. Over there, as in many countries, there is no grade between class "1" and "FIFA". Class "1" is the top National grade from which the younger native ones are nominated to FIFA.

As I traveled around the globe, and in fact I obtained 4 different passports / 5 citizenships.

I relocated to Canada before the 80s and I hibernated for a few years while studying at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario and at UOT. I did play and coached though during these years.

In 1979 after a season that was described by the NAC annual report as "remarkable", having had officiated 5 games at the NGFA National league, I was selected to be acknowledged at the AGM..

In the early 1980s I returned to the officiating scene after only 3 years absence and I quickly re-secured the top provincial grade in Canada "2" by mid 80s and level 2 early 1990s which I defended it or maintained it since then with annual successful high profile assessments,. I attached a sample of OSA level-1 referee maintenance assessment report.

My memorobilia album presentes several European competition matches for several years with a special status ticket. My memorabilia scrap book is full of newspaper clippings of media coverage of media-covered matches I officiated in Europe for over a decade; one of which, as I stated, witnessed a crowd of over 36,000 spectators.

I keep a special binder that has been moved all over the globe. It contains every single performance assessment I received with the exception of the early period in Africa "Egypt" and in Asia "Lebanon" and some of the early games in Europe "Greece, Romania & Bulgaria."

Other than that, every single assessment report I obtained within the past 20 consecutive years is still kept in that binder. This includes European and Canadian & American matches.

This page will reflect on a long, world-wide football experience; a referee career up to the top level. I was fortunate to experience many high profile appointments in several countries as I traveled the globe and in fact obtained 5 citizenships, and at one point I had 4 valid passports.

This page is meant to be a trophy proudly presenting to my son and to the football community an enjoyable referee career with many spectacular memories and events. Some of these memories involved kings and presidential staff chiefs, soccer politics beyond belief and beyond my Candaian mostlt level-2 referee, and a short lived level-1 referee in Ontario - as I soon relocated to the Mddle East to the post of National referee development director 1995 to 1998.

My record includes several other high profile appointm,ent that unfortunately I couldn't find the memorobilia pieced I kept to support them, and understanding the Canadian soccer politics and negative elements or individuals, I didn't name them here.

From 1984 to 1995 I was assessed in Ontario, Canada by 16 different assessors. This included the all but 3 of the top national assessors. The last assessment was a national league match "CSL" senior youth. During this period I received a total of 24 assessments. It was a OSA level-1 referee maintenace assessment which I posted here.

I was back again in Europe in mid and late 1990s as I was appointed by QFA to conduct referee clinics and special practical summer training camps abroad as a referee instructor. "I have many friends who are international and National directors all over Europe, Asia and Africa and I received several repeat invitations."

Being still an active registered top Provincial Canadian referee (grade 1 is in fact the top National grade all over the World, the FIFA title is then given by FIFA not by the national body.) I was appointed to several referee appointments and the referee in me just couldn't resist.

As I stated, my last Ontario assessment was August 1995 at a National CSL "Canadian Soccer League" match, at which I received the unusual mark of 96%. It was an annual grade "1" maintenance assessment, played in Woodbridge, Ontario. As siolly as it may, I still keep the report! In fact I still keep each and every single assessment I received over the past 20+ years, all the 41 assessments.

Being on the roll with childish bragging and boasting, I should mention that I passed every assessment with the exception of one Sunday park match which I'll not comment on!.

To be exact, here is a list of the relatively recent marks of every single assessment I received during the last 10 years; these are the official OSA assessments, again, all of which I still keep the reports in my soccer binder:

If there is a point here other than personal accomplishment, I would say to new referees, listen, watch, change and learn. I learned fast as a referee. Too bad I didn't do the same in my personal life!

To date, I only failed two assessments in the past twenty years scoring marks <80. One was because I had a real bad day and I was down with a flu .. I shouldn't have refereed that day.

I deserved it. The second was because the assessor clearly, even prior to the match was determined to brag about failing me. Something instructors are not supposed to do. However, the wide over-all picture is clear.

I should comment to the benefit of the layman who is not a referee, that the passing mark depends on the grade. The common guideline is as follows; "grades bottom to top":

Grade 5: 60% youth

Grade 4: 65% starting-3

Grade 3: 70%

Grade 2: 75%

Grade 1: 80%

Where grade 5 is entry level and grade 1 is top grade.

Having said that it should be noted that top international referees at the World Cup scores an average 75-85% and in fact often fail assessments! The over-all picture is the measure. The 96% mark I obtained at a National top match in Ontario 1995 as an OSA grade-1 referee was certainly an exceptional mark, and was my final chapter in Ontario as moved abroad.

Personally, as an assessor, I never awarded a 96% mark yet in over 20 years. I must say though that everyone expected trouble at this match which also involved bad history and two hostile ethnic backgrounds. I believe that my training in psychology was a factor. The assessor was able to read my efforts into man-management.

I have scanned and attached his actual assessment report below without the assessor's name.

Speaking of man-management, one thing I often bragged about is the fact that in over 25 years of officiating at all levels up to the top national competitions and including the competitive industrial & ethnic leagues, I have never been assaulted, never an attempted assault, never abandoned a match and never had a brawl. Not once ... touch wood!.

The point here is not to blame any of my fellow referees who were assaulted or had a brawl. Sometimes there are elements beyond the referee's role. I was lucky enough to not experience such factors. However, I must express my strong belief that I put my training in psychology to a practical use.

This area was repeatedly acknowledged by referees and instructors and I was often selected to address the topic of psychology of officiating for soccer referees. A topic I created clinic agenda for. I believe that many referees lack training in this field. They repeatedly listen to an old-timer who repeats the same basic silly material every grade 4 referee has already heard before.

As I stated under the instructor page, the psychology of officiating course material I authored abroab and later in BC for my district activities, consists of several classroom sessions each consists of 2 hours; and several practical on-the-pitch training drills sessions of 2 hours each. A total of 14 to 18 hours of theory and practical training.

I have been invited to many provinces and countries for this clinic in particular and in fact it was behind my national instructor badge which I served for 3 years from 1995 to 1998.

Presently - "year 2000" - I reside on an island "Vancouver Island" in the western province "British Columbia" of Canada. Football here is basically the typical Sunday park match. The most prestigious games I officiated here were an Island cup final, a Universities & Colleges semi final and a Provincial cup game. The largest crowd was about 1000 at a stadium that seats maybe 10,000.

I am also presently, year 2000, am a grade "1" referee, still active, very fit, still give the match 100%, still can sprint from one end to the other for 2 hours. "I am starting to sound like I am in my 80s" ... actually at a recent fitness test, not only I passed, I did better that some referees half my age! It's genetic, my great grand father was 109 and very healthy. He was 91 when he married a 39 years old girl! Oh yea ... I heard that comment before!!

Any way, I still enjoy officiating. I still learn and improve. There is no end to that. The referee in me is still alive and well.

To summarize my referee page:

My present class is grade "1" as I said this is the highest Canadian Provincial grade.

I also attached under the instructor - assessor page a letter of recommendation from OSA as I was about to leave Ontario, with reference to my qualifications and activities as a provincial instructor, assessor and a grade-1 referee. See next page.

I love to associate with and to share experience with fellow referees and to assist any referee. Feel free to email me or voice mail. I'll respond and promptly.

To conclude this page, here is the last Ontario assessment, a grade-1 maintenance game I received prior to leaving for my post overseas as a professional National technical director:

In addition to the preceding OSA official assessments for upgrading and / or maintenance, I received "6" OSRA assessments at high profile tournaments / competitions that took place in Ontario between 1990 - 1995. This included an international Invitational tournament match;

USA - S. Cal. Select" VS Canada "Scarborough Ontario" Women game that was televised and a Provincial men's final round match that was also televised. My assessment marks were as follows: