The endeavours of former referee Alistair receive due recognition (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

The endeavours of former referee Alistair receive due recognition

FORMER local referee Alistair Matthew received the Long and Meritorious Service Award at a presentation made at Bibury FC the Saturday before last.

The presentation was made by the Western Division vice- president, J Harvey, from Bridgwater.

The award is recognised for service to referees over a period of 21 years. It is a national award and was approved by the National Council of the Referees' Association at their annual conference at Cheltenham in June 2003.

The general secretary of the Referees' Association, Arthur Smith, was also present at an event that included over 50 referees and guests from Gloucestershire, Bristol, and Wiltshire.

Alistair, who moved to Cirencester from Scotland in 1970, soon became involved in local football when he started the Forum Youth Club football team that played in the Cirencester and District Senior League.

After some success in the league with the teenagers, the team broke up a ter four years when some of the boys wanted to play for other teams.

It was after this that he took up refereeing having passed the exam in 1977. He then started refereeing in the Cirencester League and progressed to the Northern Senior League, and eventually the Hellenic League.

He retired from refereeing in 1990 following a heart attack.

During this time, he represented the Cirencester referees' on the league and then on the County Committee of the Referees' Association.

In 1988, he was elected deputy executive member for Gloucestershire on the Western Division of the association, a post he still holds.

At local level, he has been treasurer of the Cirencester branch since 1992 and is currently standing in as secretary owing to the illness of Mike Price.

Away from refereeing, he became involved in youth football with the Cirencester and District Youth League as referees' appointments secretary.

In 1996, he was elected president of the youth league, a post he held until 2003.

After the resignation of the then chairman, John Swann, in 2003, he took on the job as chairman to prevent the league from folding.

At present, he is currently chairman and treasurer of the league and also sits on the youth committee of the Gloucestershire Football Association.