Cup Final Match Official Appointments

Relaunch of FA Referee Mentor Scheme

The initiative first launched last year and now returns to offer help and advice for new referees

Lancashire FA are delighted to relaunch our new FA Referee mentor scheme for the remainder of the 2018/19 season.

The aim of this scheme is to help our ‘foundation phase’ referees through their first five games and help them find their feet in local grassroots football. In turn, this will give them someone within their local area who they can obtain feedback from and contact before and/or after games if they have got any concerns, giving them an extra line of support.

Referees who successfully pass the basic referee course in 2019 will be given the option to opt in to the scheme 

The new referee mentor scheme will split the county in to five areas:

North (Barrow/Lancaster/Morecambe)

South (Wigan/Bolton/Bury/Rochdale/Leigh)

East (Blackburn/Accrington/Burnley/Nelson/Colne)

West (Blackpool/Fleetwood/Lytham/Poulton/Wyre)

Central (Preston/Chorley/Leyland)

Each area will have a Mentor Coordinator who will appoint mentors to games in their area

Lancashire FA Referee Mentor

Mentors will play an integral part in new referee development. We expect our mentors to be available at least once a month on either a Saturday or Sunday. For each game, a short mentor report must be completed and sent in to Lancashire FA’s Referee Department via the Mentor Coordinators. Mentors will require an in-date FA accepted CRC and must attend an FA Safeguarding Workshop.

Lancashire FA Referee Mentors will receive;

•             A FREE Criminal Records Check

•             A FREE FA Safeguarding Children Qualification if you are non-active referee (Must attend workshop)

•             A FREE Lancashire FA Nike Rain Jacket

•             Entered into a monthly prize draw if at least one mentor report is submitted

•             Opportunities to attend Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Events

Want to become a Lancashire FA Referee Mentor Coordinator?

Mentor Coordinators will be responsible for assigning mentors to games and ensuring that each newly qualified referee is mentored between at least once in their first five games of their refereeing career. We require five mentor coordinators to cover the areas above. Mentor coordinators will be required to collate all mentor reports in their region and must be sent to Lancashire FA’s Referees Department on a monthly basis.

Mentor Coordinators will be required to attend the Next Steps Event after each FA Referee Course. The event will be held at Lancashire FA or at an external venue if the course is not hosted at Lancashire FA Headquarters.

By Mentor Coordinators attending the Next Steps Event it will give the newly qualified referees the opportunity to meet their Mentor Coordinator in their own local area and start to build a relationship during the early stages as a referee.

Mentor Coordinators will be required to attend an FA Safeguarding Workshop and must have an in-date, FA accepted CRC.

Lancashire FA Referee Mentor Coordinators will receive;

•             A FREE Criminal Records Check (which will be paid for by Lancashire FA on completion of 10 games)

•             A FREE FA Safeguarding Children Qualification if you are non-active referee (Must attend workshop)

•             A FREE Nike Lancashire FA Polo Shirt

•             Entered into a monthly prize draw if all mentor reports in their region are submitted

•             Travelling expenses for attending Lancashire FA’s Referee Next Steps Event