One of Mainland Football's newest referees, Tim Shaw, is undertaking the refereeing pathway after many years involved as a player. He talked to Mainland Football about being part of the referee community and goals for the future.

When and how did you first get into refereeing?

Before moving back to New Zealand in 2001, I had been put through a basic referee course in Sydney as I had done the odd junior game after I had played in the morning. I contacted Mainland Football as soon as I had moved back to try and get into refereeing in Christchurch and ended up doing a full season of refereeing women's football on a Sunday morning, as Saturday was mostly taken up with playing my games. I only lasted the year as I started to get more serious about playing so unfortunately something had to give and that was refereeing. Fast forward to 2018 and I had thought for a while about getting back into refereeing and one interesting experience with a Sunday League referee was all the motivation I needed to get back into it.

Are you still involved in playing Football? Is this a barrier to your refereeing development?        

I'm currently playing Division 3 of the Sunday league which is more social than competitive, but it's always good to be involved with. One thing about refereeing is that you can play or coach and referee in the same weekend and throughout the week over the winter.

How have you found the referees as a group?

Absolutely fantastic, they are such an amazing bunch of people, extremely helpful and always willing to answer any questions or queries, they really do like lookout for one another. We also hang out socially, whether it be a few drinks after games on a Saturday afternoon, or dinners around town.

What advice would you offer those considering taking refereeing up in the future?

Do it! You won't regret it. In fact you will end up with so much more of a perspective on what a referee sees when you become one, which is an advantage as a player.

How have you found the 2018 season? Have you got any interesting stories?

I only started out in the middle of the season this year, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every game I have done, and the most interesting thing I keep finding is when your old teammates find out that you're refereeing. There is always a few cheeky words and banter thrown around but it's all in good fun.

What has made refereeing so enjoyable for you?

Seeing the game from the other side, having been a player who was never shy of saying how I felt to the referees, to becoming the one making decisions had been really fun. It's always a challenge and no two games are the same.

What are your goals for the future?

Definitely seeing how far I can go with refereeing, next season I'd like to gain my Level 3 accreditation and push myself further. There are plenty of opportunities with refereeing in New Zealand, and if you put the effort in you can go further than you would have done as a player.

To #GetIn to refereeing, contact Wayne Stapley for more information.