Career of living dangerously; Pitch battles are all in a day's work.Byline: By MICHELLE MICHELLE Mid-Infrared Echelle Spectrograph McGINTY WHO on earth would want to be a football referee like Alan Freeland Alan Freeland (born January 22, 1961) is a Scottish football referee. He sometimes officiates in the Scottish Premier League, and was formerly on the Fifa International list. ? You are called all the names All the Names (Portuguese: Todos os nomes) is a novel by Portuguese author José Saramago. It was written in 1997 and published in English in 2000 in an award winning translation by Margaret Jull Costa. under the sun, pundits question your sanity every week and players love nothing better than getting one over on you. Despite all this, Alan, one of Scotland's best-known refs, loves his job - but he admits having a thick skin and being slightly deaf would be professional assets. Alan, 45, of Aberdeen, has been a referee since he was 16. He said: "Back then it was a real them-and-us situation. It's better now - people understand and respect us." For Alan - who is an accountant when he's off the field - abuse from the crowds has lessened as he has climbed up the referee rankings. "When you referee at junior clubs in small grounds you are on your own and it can be intimidating," he says. "You don't have the same contact with supporters at the big grounds. It's just noise - you can't hear individuals." He remembers one match in Turkey in the Intertoto Cup when he sent off a visiting player. He says: "I was pelted with plastic bottles and met by armed security with shields. I dread to think what would have happened if I had sent off a home player." Alan, who has been on Fifa's list of international referees twice, has travelled the world and officiated at famous stadiums in Barcelona, Milan and Munich. He is happy he has never had to ref a competitive home game at Pittodrie in his home city. "I've done Aberdeen games away from home and wondered what the fans think because I'm from there," he says. "If Aberdeen do well then I'm pleased for my home city's team but I wouldn't call myself a fan." Alan - whose ambition is to officiate of·fi·ci·ate v. of·fi·ci·at·ed, of·fi·ci·at·ing, of·fi·ci·ates v.intr. 1. To perform the duties and functions of an office or a position of authority. 2. To serve as an officiant. at the Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup[1], usually known as the Scottish Cup, is the national cup knockout competition in Scottish football. The trophy awarded to the winners has the distinction of being the oldest national trophy in the world. Final - believes being a referee opens up fantastic opportunities. "It is an amazing job and definitely my passion. I get nervous but it's positive adrenalin." Alan is outspoken about the behaviour of footballers, particularly those in the top flight who earn big wages. "They have to be professional," he says. "Players have to recognise referees are human and we don't go out to deliberately make mistakes. "We've seen players getting close to touching referees and that is unacceptable. If you admit you made a mistake, it clears the air. The thing about our job is that we are right even when we are wrong." INSIDE: THREE MORE JOBS THAT ARE LESS THAN POPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC CAPTION(S): Red card: Referee Alan sends off Mark Wilson, then with Dundee United but now at Celtic' Career goal: Alan in action |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion