Referee Masaaki Toma made history at the weekend.
He took charge of the Brentford v Basingstoke Town game in the FA Cup and in doing so became the first non-British and Irish official ref an FA Cup match.
The Japanese man in black is over in England on an exchange programme for Referees and had taken charge of a Premier League Reserve game between Bolton and Sunderland and a Conference North game before turning up at Griffin Park.
Before the game David Elleray, who is now the Chairman of the FA’s Referees Committee said the usual PR guff: “Masaaki Toma is a world-class referee and his appointment shows that the FA Cup really does hold global appeal."
All very laudable. But is it fair enough?
At refereesjobs.com we think that yes it is – this exchange programme has got to be to the benefit of everyone. Stuart Attwell, the Warwickshire based Premier League ref, went the other way last year and would have benefitted from the experience too.
Unfortunately he hit the headlines while he was there on his three week stay – along with fellow young ref Anthony Taylor – and booked 18 players in his two games. But such exchanges have to be a good thing.
The Japanese Football Association are at the forefront of such things and have had Polish officials in their country in the last couple of years and perhaps it is something that we can also think about doing.
Surely rather like the old adage of a “change being as good as a rest” it can only benefit the Referee.
Anything that helps maintain the standards or of course even improve them has got to help before the dreaded talk about “Video Technology” kicks off yet again.
Of course Toma isnt some up and coming youngster looking for break. He refereed England v Mexico last year. By all accounts he did a fine job in the Brentford game – booking three players along the way.
He seemed to enjoy the FA Cup experience saying: “The majority of players and both
managers accepted my decision.
'Both managers said, "It was a great performance". However, some people also told me my English was poor.
In which case, in the Premier League he would fit right in!
He took charge of the Brentford v Basingstoke Town game in the FA Cup and in doing so became the first non-British and Irish official ref an FA Cup match.
The Japanese man in black is over in England on an exchange programme for Referees and had taken charge of a Premier League Reserve game between Bolton and Sunderland and a Conference North game before turning up at Griffin Park.
Before the game David Elleray, who is now the Chairman of the FA’s Referees Committee said the usual PR guff: “Masaaki Toma is a world-class referee and his appointment shows that the FA Cup really does hold global appeal."
All very laudable. But is it fair enough?
At refereesjobs.com we think that yes it is – this exchange programme has got to be to the benefit of everyone. Stuart Attwell, the Warwickshire based Premier League ref, went the other way last year and would have benefitted from the experience too.
Unfortunately he hit the headlines while he was there on his three week stay – along with fellow young ref Anthony Taylor – and booked 18 players in his two games. But such exchanges have to be a good thing.
The Japanese Football Association are at the forefront of such things and have had Polish officials in their country in the last couple of years and perhaps it is something that we can also think about doing.
Surely rather like the old adage of a “change being as good as a rest” it can only benefit the Referee.
Anything that helps maintain the standards or of course even improve them has got to help before the dreaded talk about “Video Technology” kicks off yet again.
Of course Toma isnt some up and coming youngster looking for break. He refereed England v Mexico last year. By all accounts he did a fine job in the Brentford game – booking three players along the way.
He seemed to enjoy the FA Cup experience saying: “The majority of players and both
managers accepted my decision.
'Both managers said, "It was a great performance". However, some people also told me my English was poor.
In which case, in the Premier League he would fit right in!
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