Experienced local referee Paul Kemp has been appointed as the Jersey Football Association’s Referee Development Officer.

Kemp, who has been a qualified referee for 16 years, will focus on the recruitment and retention of match officials in the island, and will work on initiatives to further develop the skills and knowledge of Jersey referees.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with the football development team at the Jersey FA to support the delivery of national game targets for referees,” he said.

“I want to encourage more people back into the game, but we’re also looking for young people to become our next officials; it’s great for learning life skills and personal development.

“We want the best for local football which includes wanting the best referees and ensuring we can appoint three officials for more of our fixtures.

“I’m also looking forward to working closely with David Brunton (Referee Development Manager) who has done an excellent job to date, with the island being amongst the first to trial the sin bin system which has now been rolled out across grassroots football. I’m grateful for his guidance.”

Anyone interested in taking the first step towards becoming a referee is invited to sign up for a FREE three-day referee course at Springfield Stadium next month.

The training sessions on 7th-9th of February will be overseen by a visiting FA tutor/developer. For more information, download the JFA Coach Education Directory.