News

Rosie Scott, a pupil in Year 11, has shared her impressive experiences of being a Kent FA Referee, resulting in her being selected to officiate at two of the 25 Kent County Cup finals.

To be a Football Referee is like throwing yourself into the lion's den. You’re often seen to be the villain, but in spite of this, I wouldn’t say that referees aren’t appreciated. I’ve been lucky to have plenty of lovely, supportive coaches, players and parents. For young girls, I am proud to be seen as a role model and someone to look up to. On the other hand, that’s not saying I haven’t had my fair share of abusive coaches, players and parents! However, as a result, I have really been able to build up my resilience and confidence.

Is football a male-dominated sport? Well, let's hail the Lionesses, champions of Europe. But, if you think football is a game for boys and men, consider football referees. When I did my FA qualification to become a football referee in 2021, I was the only girl in a class of 30. Yet on International Women's Day, 8^th March 2023, equality and equity were on full show, when I was proudly invited to a special dinner at The Village Hotel in Maidstone by the Kent FA. In attendance, was Kent FA poster girl, Kirsty Dowle, who had only days earlier refereed the Women's League Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea. Also, in attendance was Lou Saunders, another WSL referee and the 4th official for the Women’s League Cup Final. I was lucky enough to have her coach me in my qualification course. Furthermore, I also had the privilege of having Darren England, a premier league referee on the FIFA List of International Referees, presenting a really inspirational talk.

Finals were the theme of the evening, because I was invited as one of 100 referees in the county - boys, girls, men and women. The top 100 have been selected to officiate at the 25 Kent County Cup Finals. I have been given the privilege to officiate the U13 Girls and U14 Girls finals on 2 April, with both games being played out in the magnificent Maidstone Utd Gallagher Stadium. The Gallagher Stadium is also where I was invited by the Kent FA to referee at a couple of weeks ago for a mini-world cup: a tournament of U11 girls from 36 schools, where they each adopt a country for the tournament and learn about it in school. Unfortunately, I was injured from a previous match so I was regrettably unable to attend and missed my opportunity to be on the Southeast News where it was reported. But who knows, there may be plenty more of that coming my way!

Rosie Scott, Year 11