Tag Archives: Adrian Skeete

Referees in the media (week 49)

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‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading.

“After the match we change clothes, fill out the match form and send it via iPhone.”

International referee Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands on the modern way of sending the match report in the weekly section on the Dutch FA website.

“It was a real shock and probably the most disappointing decision of my career.”

Graham Poll about missing the Euro 2004 in Portugal.

“The top two is the same every season, of course.”
One of the players in the Scilly league on group of islands on the south-western tip of England. The comptition contains two teams who play each other 16 times a season, all under supervision of referee Paul Charnock. Read more about this in the Fifa Magazine (page 56 and further)

“Let adversity be your catalyst and greatness will be yours.”

The motto of Adrian Skeete from Barbados in an interview with this blog.

“This will ensure that referees’ education is of utmost importance for the referees and assistant referees to perform correctly and perfectly in the field of play and also to update themselves with the latest technical knowledge in assistantship.”

Said UAE Football Association General Secretary Yousuf Mohd Abdullah during the AFC first ever elite course for assistant referees.

‘Technology will be benefit for football referees’

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‘Let adversity be your calatyst to greatness Lucas’, is what referee Adrian Skeete tweeted to Lucas Leiva from Liverpool. That motto has brought the referee from Barbados on the international refereeing list.

This is the third part of an interview by Dutch Referee Blog with him. You can read part one and part two on this blog.

How do you think of goal-line-technology?

“With the game changing on a constant basis, with new technology being used to create lightweight balls, ‘techfit’, aerodynamic clothing for players, nutrition and training providing intensely high fitness levels of players; I believe it would benefit football referees greatly by introducing technology into the game.”

“Although this is true, we have to draw the line somewhere. Do we want offside’s, and fouls being called for us by a technology? No. What makes this game special is the fact the there is a human, instinctive, and wholly natural element to the game, this is what FIFA wants to keep alive. It’s what makes this game the most popular, most entertaining, and intensely passionate sport in the world. Now and for many generations to come, nothing compares to the game of football.”

What advice would you give to my readers for their refereeing career?

“To become successful with anything in life, you have to train, and play hard. If you are just starting out, find a good mentor, and a good refereeing association. Get yourself into a good training regime, and most importantly keep your faith in God first, believe in yourself, and success, glory and greatness can only be destined.”

“There will be times that you will be challenged by adversity, doubt, opposition, and criticism. There will be games that you make mistakes that you did not think were possible, and you will feel like no one wants you to succeed and that you may as well throw in the towel.”

“But I have a saying that I always look to. It reminds me of my goals, my aspirations, and pushes me forward to where I want top be in life: ‘Let adversity be your catalyst and greatness will be yours’.”

‘Barbadian referees are as fit as the refs in EPL’

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Adrian Skeete has officiated his last match for 2011 already. The season final was this week. “And it went well”, says the referee from Barbados.

This is the second part of an interview by Dutch Referee Blog with him. You can read part one here.

How do Concacaf and Fifa support you in becoming a top referee?

“I’m in the Refereee’s Assistance Programme, which is a project put together by FIFA to assist in the growth and development and all referees. Making sure we interpret, and implement the LOTG the game, providing fit, healthy, consistent quality referees in the region.”

Logo Concacaf

Logo Concacaf

“To date there are no full-time or professional Referees in the Caribbean Football Union. This, however, is not because of lack of talent, fitness, or technique; our referees are exceptional, and given the chance we have already proven ourselves at the world stage, with Ramesh Ramdhan, Peter Prendergast who both refereed at a World Cup.”

You’re a international referee now. How did you experience your first matches abroad?

“Cuba – Aruba, a Londen 2012 Olympic Qualifier, was my first overseas assignment. It was the most exhilarating experience of my life. I got to work with some of the most talented Referees (Canaan St. Catherine; St. Lucia) and ARs (Graeme Browne, St. Kitts & Nevis, Jerrell Kraag; Suriname), and a very talented and patient Match Commissioner in Damien Hughes.”

“I could not have asked for a better first overseas appointment. It was a journey that will live with me forever. Wearing the FIFA badge for the first time going into the airport and getting smiles and glares was a great experience.”

“I learned that through my journey in life, as long as I am a referee (not just a FIFA referee), I am a role model; exceptional conduct and a pleasant manner is the key to keeping the image of FIFA to it’s highest standard.”

What’s the quality of Barbadian referees in comparison with referees from other countries?

“Our referees are extremely fit, on average we complete fifteen laps of the FIFA interval fitness test. There is no doubt in my mind that we are just as fit as the referees in the English Premier League.
That was justified when two of our Concacaf Elite referees (Trevor Taylor(R) and Adrian Goddard (AR) were appointed to the 2011 Gold Cup in the USA.”

“I hope for much more success for our country, but this can only be achieved by investment in our referees, helping them go full time or professional. This success can be seen in the quality of refereering in the UK, Italian, Spanish and South American leagues, where referees that have gone full time also achieved greatness on the world stage.”

You can read the last part tomorrow.

Adrian Skeete wants to be the best in everything

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Adrian Skeete wants to be world’s best referee. This year the 33-year-old from Barbados made his debut on the international Fifa referee list.

Dutch Referee Blog interviewed him. This is part 1, the rest will be published later this week.

Adrian Skeete Twitter picture

How did you become a referee?

“Football and sports – and my wife of course – have always been my love of my life. As a young child I had always envisioned becoming a Premier League football player, but I was never really good enough.”

“During a holiday in Barbados, I met my future wife at the age of sixteen and instantly fell in love with her, but we lost touch. By chance at twenty-one – five years – later, we met again, and we’ve never looked back. She convinced me that our future was in Barbados, my father’s place of birth, and we moved here four years later.”

“I never lost my love for football. And when I met one of the local referees, Winston Pinder, I found out that there was a referees course the next week. I jumped at the chance to get back in touch with another love of my life.”

On barbadosreferees.com you said your goal is become the best referee of the world. How are you going to achieve that?

“Whatever I do in life I try to be the best that I can. To become the best, you must learn from the best, immerse yourself in with individuals and tools that will help you achieve your goals.
For me, I make sure that my life is complete in three major areas: Physically, by training as hard as I can. Three times a week in the gym, three times a week on my refereeing techniques, of which twice a week with high intensity training.”

“Mentally, where the LOTG is my guide to greatness. It provides me with all I need to identify, interpret and apply the LOTG; knowing these laws will help me achieve my goals. Along with my laws I have several mentors who help me push towards my goals for greatness; Victor Moore (Referee Assessor), Trevor Taylor (Elite Concacaf Referee), Edwin Adams (Barbados Premier League Referee), Andrew Belgrave (Former FIFA AR, and FIFA Fitness Trainer) and my current president (Former FIFA Referee) Mark Forde.”

“Spiritually, by putting God first before all my games, praying for guidance, and to focus on the areas that I need to improve on. These three major areas are the keys to my success in becoming the best referee in the world.”