Fifty Referees to officiate in the 2019/20 Salone Premier League season.

By Muctar Koroma

Ahead of the commencement of the Sierra Leone's Premier League, the Referee's Manager at the Sierra Leone Football Association(SLFA), Mohamed Bowen Freeman, has disclosed the number of Referees that will officiate in this year's league. He said   that out of a pool of one hundred Referees who were available during the last Premier League, the Referees Department has selected fifty Referees to  officiate this season's league matches. Twenty-five center Referees and Twenty-five Assistant Referees.  

He said football fans would see female Referees officiating games in the 2019/20 Premier League season. 

" We have four female Referees, two Assistants and two center Referees. These female Referees performed extremely well in the just concluded Referees training conduct at the Siaka Stevens Stadium." Said Freeman.

He also revealed that the Referees are well prepared, committed and motivated to give their best in the new  league season. Freeman said the Referees had gone through several trainings and  match fitness test. 

"We have completed a FIFA member's association  Referees Course where our Referees' performances were astonishing."  Freeman disclosed. 

"Our Referees will officiate as Judges and not to take sides with any team in the upcoming Sierra Leone Premier League." Freeman declared. 

He further emphasised that the major duty or responsibility of Referees is to interpret the laws of the  game fairly.

 
Responding to  question about  the poor manner of  officiating in the last Premier League

The head of Referees at SLFA said that because of the long football break prior to the start of last season most Referees had stayed away from officiating professional matches so mistakes were inevitable. However, he noted that  during the second phase of the last Premier League, the performances of the  Referees improved tremendously due to the  streamlining process, training and the introduction of Referees Assessor,  to assess the performance of Referees in matches  and report to the Referees Department at the SLFA.

Commenting on welfare of  Referees ahead of the Premier League.

Mohamed Freeman boasted that the new Premier League Board Chairman Lawyer Alieu Vandi has promised them that incentives to Referees will be increased for officiating matches in and out of Freetown. 

The Referees Manager also called on Football Coaches, Managers, Administrators and fans of the fourteen Premier League Clubs to be mindful of their words and approach towards Referees during and after matches. 

He revealed that stewards will be introduced in the various venues of Premier League matches for the safety and protection of Referees.

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