sport

New technology would help referees

Charlie Agius is a well-known referee. Besides officiating many of the top local matches, he has refereed more than 80 international games. He has two more seasons before winding up his career, but, as RAY ABDILLA discovers, he has no intention of stopping there

Many critics feel that the referee has too much power on the game. His decision could decide a championship or relegation, even a World Cup Final. Do you think that the present system of one referee and two assistant referees is a good one, or are you in favour of a different process, such as technology intervention when there is a very dubious decision?

I feel that the present system is quite good, even though there is definitely room for improvement. I do not agree with the two-referee system for several reasons, but quoting the proverb, ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ would be quite a valid one. On the other hand I would welcome the helping hand of new technology. For example, the electronic means to determine in real time whether a ball has crossed the goal line or not could prove very handy. Other helpful means could be radio contact between the referee and the fourth official with a monitor in front of him. One should not overdo this though; the human element in the game is what makes it what it is and taking this element out would make watching a football game as boring as watching a badly produced computer game. Besides that, introducing electronic gadgets would prove too expensive for minor associations and football would become the sport of the minor elite.

Many feel that when a player makes a mistake he gets punished by the referee, his club, or association but if the referee is mistaken there’s no one who will punish him or take the appropriate action against him. Is this true?

When a referee makes a mistake, the match inspector in the match report him. These reports are analysed by the referees’ committee and are taken into account before the referee is given another assignment. Hence a bad report could end the referee’s possibilities of refereeing a good match. In extreme cases the referee could also be asked to appear in front of the referees’ committee. Whenever the referee punishes a player, he is not punished for failing to do his work but for infringing the laws. Several players fail in their work, for example by missing a sure goal but are certainly not punished for that, especially if they score a few minutes later. On the other hand if the referee plays a perfect match and then signals for a non-existent penalty he is said to have failed his work and is punished by the public.

How do you compare today’s referees with those from the past?

There were several good referees in the past, but nowadays the refereeing style seems to have changed completely - from the extremely rigid, inflexible and disciplined style of the past to the more down-to-earth, more efficient and facilitative style of today. Nowadays the referees are much better-trained, both physically and psychologically. In fact, today’s referees are trained as a team, emphasising the importance of teamwork in the game of football.

Many feel that a large number of rules are being changed too often in the game of football. Do you think that new regulations such as no back-pass to the goalkeeper and time-wasting being compensated practically to the minute have done the game good?

The laws basically remained the same; what we witnessed were mere amendments to the laws. Law amendments could prove confusing in the beginning, but then usually do help the game.

I believe that you still have two seasons to go as a referee, meaning you are supposed to retire at the end of the 2002/2003 season. Are you sad that time has gone so fast and that you’ll soon have to quit?

Yes, it is a true case of time flying. A career in sports is usually quite short; all you can do is enjoy every single moment of it.

Were you always a football supporter?

I used to be quite a keen supporter of my home team, Mosta, before I got into refereeing. But after that you tend to watch the referee rather than the team!

Did you ever play football?

I played for Mosta Gunners, U/16 and Mosta U/18 and U/21. Then I joined the Men in Black.

How did you start your career as a referee?

I was coaching an U/16 match and we lost. I was not happy with the referee’s performance and spoke about this with Charles Scerri, a FIFA referee at the time. He noted that my knowledge of the rules of the game needed some polishing and invited me to join the refereeing course to get to know the rules. And here I am today!

Did you ever think that you would become a FIFA referee?
No.

Do you remember the first match that you refereed officially?

It was an Under 18 match between Hamrun and Rabat. My first premier match was between Marsa and Rabat.

Is there any particular match you will never forget?

Yes, Porto vs. Rosenberg in the Champions League.

Which international games did you officiate? And which foreign stadium do you remember most vividly whilst refereeing a match?

I refereed more than 80 international games. Stadiums I will definitely never forget are Wembley Stadium, Borussia Dortmund’s Stadium, Galatasaray’s Stadium, Naintes’ Stadium and Roma’s Olimpico.What does the future hold for Charlie Agius?

Helping referee trainees is something I think I will look forward to.

Which referee (both locally and as a foreigner) impressed you most?

Locally, a couple impressed me… Wright of Brasil, Casarin of Italy and Votreau of France were very impressive. At present, Pariera of Portugal is doing quite a good job.

What do you think about the standard of the game in Malta?

Fortunately, the game is always improving and internationally the last two matches of the under-21 and national team looked very promising.

Do you think that their association, media and the public treat referees well in Malta?

There is obviously always room for improvement but we have made gigantic steps forward since 1978, when I started.

How did you cope when you could not officiate because of health problems a couple of seasons ago?

It was quite a hard blow for me, having to lose an entire season. To make matters worse it was my final season on the international list. I put a lot of effort into trying to recover quickly and get back in shape with the help of doctors and other people who were a great support. It was definitely a hard task, but fortunately we managed it.