Football NSW Referees on a high
Well known FNSW Assistant Referee Alex Glasgow was recently nominated to the FIFA international list which was an amazing accomplishment for the New South Welshman.
Alex?s appointment will commence from 1 January 2008 and signals a revitalisation in the officiating ranks in NSW following the adoption by Football NSW of the FFA National Officiating Program.
Yet another successful whistleblower, Kristian Griffiths-Jones has secured a National Officiating Scholarship.
The Australian Sports Commission and FFA have advised that Griffiths-Jones has been selected as one of two scholarship winners Australia wide for match officials.
In a huge coup for Griffiths-Jones, the NSW referee was selected to officiate at the recent Socceroo Training Camp under new Australian coach Pim Verbeek.
Kristian?s match played behind closed doors at Marconi Stadium on January 8, 2008 was by reports a well officiated game. He was assisted by Daniel Dewhurst and Greg O?Loughlin on the line, both of whom are themselves identified prospective elite assistant referees.
State Technical Committee Members John Parker and Sharon O?Neill will shortly travel to Brisbane to complete the challenging Level 1 Assessors Course to be conducted by FFA.
Completion of this qualification, the most senior currently available in Australian football, will equip John and Sharon to coach and assess match officials up to the Hyundai A-League and will greatly assist their roles at grassroots level.
Due to illness, the third State Technical Committee member Simon Micallef was unable to be considered for this course but will complete the program when the course is run in Sydney.
A whistle camp has been initiated at the instigation of the ASRF and with the support of the State Coach, the State Technical Committee and Football NSW, the ASRF Branch Coach, Con Diomis conducted the first session in December 2007.
The seminar consisted of classroom and practical officiating instructional sessions conducted by current FIFA match officials and the State Coach.