'We are the trailblazers' - the ex-players becoming refs

The would-be officials are put through their paces on the course

It has been said so often that referees have no feel for the game because they have never played.

The theory is about to be put to the test.

At Warwick University on 4 September, 16 current and past players began a sped-up journey that could take them all the way to the Premier League. 'Trailblazers' was the word being used.

Can former players make better referees?

Thanks to a collaboration between players union the PFA and elite refereeing body PGMOL, plus funding from the Premier League, the first cohort on a three-year programme have begun their journeys.

They may not be household names, but the group have more than 5,000 appearances between them across various levels of the professional and semi-professional English football pyramid.

One of those fledgling referees is Peter Vincenti who had a 14-year professional career that took him to eight different clubs. Now 38, he is optimistic, but realistic, for what lies ahead.

"These 16 people have experience and knowledge that is slightly different to what is already in place," he said.

"I don't think anyone is thinking 'we are ex-players, we are going to officiate in a World Cup final'. Other people might, but we can't control that."

There were around 130 expressions of interest when the PFA contacted its members about becoming a referee. Chris Birchall, a former team-mate of David Beckham's at MLS side LA Galaxy is already a qualified referee, so he could be one of the first to take charge of a game - and that could happen within weeks.

Birchall has already started to watch games differently in preparation for what lies ahead.

"It's about not rushing decisions and letting the game flow," he said. "Anthony Taylor is one of the best.

"I took my time to analyse the Man Utd v Liverpool game. You see him making the right decisions, getting in the right positions, being very confident in his decisions, it is pleasing to watch.

"The fitness side is fine. It is more positioning, where to go, where to move and trying to anticipate something happening."

Howard Webb, head of referees at PGMOL, speaks to the members of the course

PGMOL head of refereeing Howard Webb reached the very top, taking charge of the 2010 World Cup final.

He doesn't understand why former players have turned their back on refereeing.

"Fundamentally we believe someone who has a passion for the game and lived the life playing the game will have an understanding of how the game and its participants work," he said.

"Why are we in a position where we don't have them? What has deterred them from continuing their careers in another way? I say that as someone who understands the fulfilment you can get, the opportunity it provides and the satisfaction it gives you when you have done well."

One of the major drawbacks can be the time it takes to progress up the levels and leagues.

Webb says it took him 14 years, and that was with promotions virtually every year. A player retiring relatively early at 30 would be 44 if they followed the same path and started on day one.

This group will have their progress monitored and - if they show ability - fast-tracked. It will still start with appointments at grass roots level - and local leagues and associations will need to be involved - but the feedback and coaching will be more extensive.

And then there is the negativity.

Abuse and criticism of referees is a constant at every level, with debate around player and manager behaviour, and warnings of a 'crisis' at amateur level coming in regular waves.

In the introductions at the start of the course, one of the 16 admitted to getting a suspension for five bookings, all of which were for dissent.

Yet Vincenti doesn't feel it will be as big a problem as some might think.

"We have already experienced that in our playing careers," he said. "You have situations as a player where your form dips and people are on your back.

"You know it [abuse] is going to happen but we have a thick skin. It's not at the forefront of my mind, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I prefer to look at the more positive aspects."

The aim is for the experiment to become the norm.

Anthony Griffith, with more than 500 games at various levels, is one of the 16 and has been waiting for his chance since 2014 when the first planned initiative fizzled out, as it did again during the Covid pandemic.

The close relationship between Webb and PFA chief executive Maheta Molango - plus the Premier League’s funding - should provide longevity this time around.

The hope is if the current cohort excel, more will be encouraged to apply.

"We are going to get scrutinised more than most because we are ex-players coming in and it is going to be publicised a lot more," said Birchall.

"But we will lean on each other. We are the trailblazers and I can only see it being popular with ex-players."