For 4 of Suffolk FA’s Academy Referees this represented the chance of a night to remember, walking out on the Portman Road turf to officiate a game between two of the top Academy teams in the country.
Ollie Davies, Match Referee, is only in his first full season of officiating whilst his Assistants James Ager and Ashley Woof are in their second and third seasons respectively. Fourth Official, Jonathon Block is also in his third season.
Over 2,300 people packed the Britannia Stand to watch an entertaining game finish 3-3, with Manchester United taking the trophy 5-3 after a penalty shootout.
The four Officials controlled a fast paced and at times, lively game, with authority and maturity beyond their years. They all came out of the game with a great deal of credit and praise from both teams for the way they handled the evening.
All four Officials have been part of the Referees Academy this season and worked extremely hard to develop their Refereeing skills under the guidance of Head Coach Trevor Pollard. They can look forward to next season with a great deal of confidence having done Suffolk FA and the Referees Academy proud.
If you would like to know more about the Referees Academy see the Youth Referee Academy section (click here).
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Referee and the opportunities available, please see the Become a Referee section (click here) or contact: Simon Long by e-mail simon.long@suffolkfa.com / by phone 01449 776317.