Referees relish U17 chance

The UEFA European Under-17 Championship is not just about producing players of the future. In Luxembourg, six young referees and eight assistants are also taking an early step towards what they hope will be a successful international career.

Famous alumni
UEFA use this competition to give promising officials a chance to experience a final tournament, and since previous U16 finals have been refereed by the likes of Anders Frisk, Konrad Plautz and Eric Poulat, the opportunity to progress is there. Yvan Cornu, UEFA's Head of Refereeing and the man responsible for running the officiating operations in Luxembourg, told uefa.com: "I would say, for the best ones, they can expect to reach the top within four seasons, that's the fast track."

'Ninth team'
Consequently, the 16 referees and assistants - including two experienced referees from the host nation who act as fourth officials - are given every support by UEFA out in Luxembourg, staying at a luxury hotel away from the main tournament base. UEFA Referees' Committee vice-chairman Lars-Ake Björck, one of two experienced former international officials here as observers, explained: "We call our referees' team the ninth team because we have the same back-up as the other teams - the administration, the technical coaches, a physio, doctor and liaison office."

'Common sense'
Being able to call on Björck and his colleague Nikolay Levnikov is also invaluable. Björck said: "They are out for the first time in an important tournament and we are here to give them advice so they feel that we are a family together." They also have pre-match and post-game briefings, with the emphasis on practical examples from the U17 matches just gone. "Common sense is the most important thing," Björck said. "How to handle an unusual situation, apply the laws of the game, be clever."

Chance to shine
Of course, Björck too is learning which of the referees will have the ability to move to a higher level. "We don't know very much about them. They have the chance to show us that they have the ability for the future. But usually the young referees are so well prepared it is not a lottery."

Collum rise
Among those hopefuls is Scotland's William Collum, who handled Russia's 1-0 win against Hungary. "I've been refereeing since I was 14 in Scotland," he said. "I'm 27 now, this is my second year in the top league in Scotland and I was promoted to FIFA referee in January this year."

Bonding
Björck and Cornu are keen for the referees to see themselves as a "team", especially the quartets that handle each match, and Collum has picked up on that. "Since I've arrived here it's been a real team ethic," he said. "We've been working hard to build relations with each other, get a real team ethic, get to know each other. Even if it's walking together, discussing the games, playing billiards, eating together. The fitness test, to get through that was a team effort. It is good to see the way other referees and assistants operate."

Professional approach
So how does refereeing an U17 tie compare to a senior professional match? "You need to approach it in the same vein, in a very professional sense. These players have worked hard to get to this level and want to prove themselves so you must be 100 per cent focused," Collum said. "It's a great opportunity. When you begin refereeing at the age of 14 you don't think you will get this opportunity no matter how far you progress. I'm very grateful."