EMF Executive Committee voted for Martin Cassidy to become the Chairman of the EMF Referee Committe. Martin Cassidy is former national list match official and retired early due to injury. He took up refereeing after a knee injury stopped him playing football. He worked for the FA at Wembley in The FA Referees Department for 7 years coaching referees at levels 2b, 3 and level 4.
1, You’ve been voted as Chairman of the EMF Referee Committee. What it means to you?
It means so much to me and I am very proud to have been voted in as Chairman of the EMF Refeeres Committee particularly as it’s a very democratic process and I thank the EMF for their trust.
2, What is the biggest differences in refereeing football and minifootball?
The games are so much faster and the skill levels and technical abilities of the players are much higher than those in the 11 a side game. This means our referees must be aware of the players tactics and an EMF referees thinking process must be on high alert as things happen so quickly. The referees have to be fitter and have a quick sprint to ensure they are in good positions to make correct decisions.
3, You’re well experienced man in terms of refereeing. Where’s your main focus aim in the next couple of weeks?
The next few weeks will be focused on interviewing referees from all over Europe over zoom to discuss what they feel. We need as a federation to support them. These interviews will also test their level of English as its very important as an international match official. I also need to begin to confirm a date and country for our referee seminar.
4, Is there any news which we can expect from referees on the ‘big stage’ tournaments?
Yes, we are delighted to announce that at every EMF Tournament from now, all of our referees will have electronic head communication sets thanks to a sponsorship deal with a world leading brand.
5, What is your vision for the future in the EMF structures as Chairman of the EMF Referee Committee?
I would like to create an EMF Referee Association as part of the EMF a bit like another committee with every country nominating referees as members. We want to be able work with all countries to have a clear structure and pathway for referees all over Europe. This will create consistency with the referee group and it will also allow the wider group of referees all over Europe to see what it takes to be an EMF referee.