WARRINGTON Town FC is helping provide the referees of the future after teaming with Warrington Referees Society.
The club’s HG Driver Recruitment Stadium is now home to the Warrington Town Referees Academy (WTRA) providing the perfect training facility for referees of the future.
Academy Chairman Roy Naylor said: “Fifteen years ago Warrington referees Society boasted a F.I.F.A Referee, a Football league Referee and six Referee Assistants, who were jokingly known as the ‘Warrington Mafia’.
“Now we have four officials on the contributory league, that’s good, but with the potential and size of Warrington it’s not good enough.”
As a regular visitor to Warrington Town Roy held talks with Managing Director Toby Macormac and the club’s secretary Chris Henshall, an Ex-Football League Assistant Referee, about using the football stadium as a base for the society.
Roy added: “Warrington Town had everything we needed. It has a football pitch, a 3G training facility, access to the prospect of viewing a football match that we could analyse for learning purposes, a room big enough to seat a large group in comfort, a stage, along with that the use of a screen for use to view all the latest DVD’s that the FA send out.
“The only thing that was missing was the next generation of referees. But now with the facilities on offer it is much easier to attract them.
“Thanks to Warrington Town we are now getting a higher level of retention of referees, because they are enjoying it more, they are training for longer and they want better games so they are now looking at promotion and how to do it.
“Warrington Town’s input other than the use of the facilities, has given this particular Society an identity.
“Up until last season Warrington Referees Society was just a fish in a pond. Not anymore, some of the guys are basically representing the academy at prestigious tournaments.
“The football club recently made a statement of intent that they want to have Football League status within seven years. Well here at the Warrington Town Referees Academy we hope to also have that same status in refereeing terms, as some of the referees who are here now are showing real potential,” added Roy.
This has been recognised by the FA who presented the prestigious National Refereeing Programme Development award to Paul Dawson, Chairman of the Warrington Junior Football League at the Liverpool County FA awards evening,
Picture shows stalwart of the WJFL Committee Reg Peers, surrounded by members of the Warrington Town Referees Academy, Nathan Tugwell, Ben Harrison, Tom de Prez,Dan Tyas and Matty Coles, with Roy Naylor.
Town team up with referees!
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
