Spending a day at the PGMOL training camp helps to show why match officials enjoy what they do despite it appearing at times to be a thankless task
‘I get it,” I say, maybe a little too enthusiastically as Bibi Steinhaus-Webb, the head of women’s refereeing in England, sits down in the chair opposite me. I’ve forgotten to press record for our interview and blurt out: “I now understand why someone would want to be a referee.”
Before spending a day at the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL)’s select group women’s professional game training camp I had struggled to comprehend why anyone would go into refereeing, where your every thought and decision will be picked apart, analysed, criticised and rarely praised.
Written by Suzanne Wrack
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/jan/18/ive-never-understood-why-anyone-would-want-to-be-a-referee-now-i-do under the title “I’ve never understood why anyone would want to be a referee. Now I do”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
