Mick
The Ref Aficionado.
Here is the very final refwatch of the season. League games against Oldham commenced in the early ‘60s and we have played them pretty regularly since. We hold a clear lead with 19 wins to their 13 with 11 draws. In the 6 National League matches since they followed us out of the Football League, we have won 3, drawn 2 and lost just 1.
Man in charge at Wembley, refereeing his first Southend match, is scouser Elliot Bell from Bootle.
A young official, aged just 26, he started refereeing at the age of 15 and his progression through the ranks has been extraordinary. Just three years ago he was refereeing at Step 5 and 6 (for context they are the levels for Benfleet and Rayleigh Town). He was then moved to Step 3 & 4 and after just one season he moved up to Step 2. As a member of the ERDG (development group for fast tracking promising officials) these were strictly speaking re-alignments rather than promotions and he can be appointed to any match as deemed appropriate. He was further re-aligned the following year and a year ago did his first FL match then, back in February, his first Championship match. The following month he refereed 3 matches in Japan as part of an exchange scheme. He will be familiar with Wembley, having been Fourth Official at the FA Trophy Final recently. He is clearly getting plenty of support from people in high places and I hope he justifies it.
The excellent referee at the Forest Green play-off took 5 years to get from National League to Football League; Sunday’s referee did a couple of Football League matches before any National League matches and has only ever refereed 5 National League matches.
His 38 UK matches this season comprise 5 National League matches, 5 Championship matches and the rest have been FL One and Two and Cup matches. There have been 156 cautions and 9 red cards.
This will also be his first Oldham match.
Assisting will be Callum Gough, employed by the PGMOL, from Barnsley and Jacob Graham from Manchester who performed a similar role at Gateshead a long 3 weeks ago.
Fourth Official is Aaron Bannister from Featherstone. He was the Referee Development Officer at Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, having previously worked for West Riding County FA. Before getting into these football jobs some 8 years ago, he was a Transport Co-ordinator. Now he has left those County FA jobs-for-the-boys behind and six months ago he became the Business Support Officer at Healthwatch Wakefield. Approaching 40, he is a Featherstone Rovers season ticket holder and is in his second season as a National League referee. He refereed this season’s home match against Gateshead, not particularly well. He also refereed the play-off eliminator between Oldham and Halifax.
We get a Reserve Assistant Referee for such a prestigious match and he will be Sam Wesson from Leicester, who was one of the Assistants at Forest Green last week.
Our first play-off final was refereed by Martin Atkinson, the second by Simon Hooper. Both had, or are still having, a top career as a Premier League referee. Does the same await Mr Bell ?
Man in charge at Wembley, refereeing his first Southend match, is scouser Elliot Bell from Bootle.
A young official, aged just 26, he started refereeing at the age of 15 and his progression through the ranks has been extraordinary. Just three years ago he was refereeing at Step 5 and 6 (for context they are the levels for Benfleet and Rayleigh Town). He was then moved to Step 3 & 4 and after just one season he moved up to Step 2. As a member of the ERDG (development group for fast tracking promising officials) these were strictly speaking re-alignments rather than promotions and he can be appointed to any match as deemed appropriate. He was further re-aligned the following year and a year ago did his first FL match then, back in February, his first Championship match. The following month he refereed 3 matches in Japan as part of an exchange scheme. He will be familiar with Wembley, having been Fourth Official at the FA Trophy Final recently. He is clearly getting plenty of support from people in high places and I hope he justifies it.
The excellent referee at the Forest Green play-off took 5 years to get from National League to Football League; Sunday’s referee did a couple of Football League matches before any National League matches and has only ever refereed 5 National League matches.
His 38 UK matches this season comprise 5 National League matches, 5 Championship matches and the rest have been FL One and Two and Cup matches. There have been 156 cautions and 9 red cards.
This will also be his first Oldham match.
Assisting will be Callum Gough, employed by the PGMOL, from Barnsley and Jacob Graham from Manchester who performed a similar role at Gateshead a long 3 weeks ago.
Fourth Official is Aaron Bannister from Featherstone. He was the Referee Development Officer at Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, having previously worked for West Riding County FA. Before getting into these football jobs some 8 years ago, he was a Transport Co-ordinator. Now he has left those County FA jobs-for-the-boys behind and six months ago he became the Business Support Officer at Healthwatch Wakefield. Approaching 40, he is a Featherstone Rovers season ticket holder and is in his second season as a National League referee. He refereed this season’s home match against Gateshead, not particularly well. He also refereed the play-off eliminator between Oldham and Halifax.
We get a Reserve Assistant Referee for such a prestigious match and he will be Sam Wesson from Leicester, who was one of the Assistants at Forest Green last week.
Our first play-off final was refereed by Martin Atkinson, the second by Simon Hooper. Both had, or are still having, a top career as a Premier League referee. Does the same await Mr Bell ?
), close.....many thanks, always a good read 
