91Èȱ¬

It's a fact that without referees, there'd be no football.

The Sheffield & Hallamshire County Football Association has launched a new campaign to recruit more volunteer football referees

Match officials are essential to the survival of the game at national, regional and local level, yet there's a desperate need to recruit more people to train to become referees to cope with the growing popularity of girls and women's football and the phenomenon of Futsal.Ìý

Howard Webb is a premier league official and an international referee who regularly officiates and he spoke to 91Èȱ¬ Radio Sheffield Toby Foster.

"The problem is now so acute with less than two out of three local games having a match official. When I was playing, when a qualified referee turned up it was better than having a decent ball because it meant you got a proper game of football - no cheating, no messing about on the pitch".

"It's so important that we get people involved so that we can protect football at local level".

Toby asked Howard what he thought was the reason that people aren't picking up the whistle?

Howard says: "I think there's probably a bit of an image problem, where people think if they take up the whistle, they're going to get loads of abuse and grief, but apart fromÌý some isolated incidents, there's a big driveÌý across both the Premier league, the football league and at grassroots level to instill respect from the players".

"With this sort of campaign it will highlight the shortage and the opportunities for people to help", added Howard.

Toby also spoke to newly qualified referee Gemma Evans, a 21 year old civil servant in Sheffield, about why she 'picked up the whistle'.

Gemma says; "I think it was really working with children and trying to get more kids involved in football and I discovered such a shortage that I'd do my bit really".

"I was injured for 12 months and I thought it wasÌý great way to stay involved without physically playing football" It does affect my job a little bit in that I can't do overtime and cant work Saturdays, but part from that it works great".

"It's a great way to keep fit and it really does fit in with developing yourself as a person as well and deal with different situations, especially when there's plenty of testosterone flying around.Ìý I have found the players do give me less abuse than the guys", adds Gemma.

If you are interested in volunteering to become a referee you need to be over 14, fit and willing to undertake some training. Here are the contact details;

Craig Grundy
Referee Recruitment Officer
Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association
Tel:Ìý 0114 2414992