Bedfordshire FA Referees' represented at the Norway Cup.

Last month 12 Referees from Bedfordshire Football Association attended the Norway Cup which is one of the world’s largest youth tournaments.

The Norway Cup is played on the outskirts of Oslo; it was founded in 1972 and has grown to 1500 teams. The competing teams range from the ages of 10 to 19, and currently play in a 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 format.

Bedfordshire Football Association referees have been attending the tournament since 2003 joining approx. 400 other referees from all over the world.

During the tournament referees work on their pre-season fitness and focus on their communication skills. This is a key focus as they will be working with international officials and foreign teams.

A typical day saw the referees take charge of 3-5 games a day and this year the conditions varied from Thunderstorms, torrential rain to the late 20c Sunshine!

There are plenty off field events available for referees which include a pizza night, Referees Awards Event and the Opening / Closing Ceremony. The city of Oslo is one of the most hospitable cities in the world and really welcomes the referees and visitors from all over the world. There is plenty of opportunity to explore the city, fjords and the countless museums about Vikings and Norway’s culture.

2015 proved to be a successful year for Bedfordshire Referees with the following being appointed to prestigious cup finals.

Tom Danaher – A Klasse (Under 19 boys) Final. Assistant Referee - Kurdistan FC vs Hallingdal FK

James Campbell – R Klasse (Under 16 girls) Final. 4th Official – Lyn Oslo vs Ballerup Skovlunde

Brian Humphries – M Klasse (Under 16 girls 7 aside) Final. Reserve Referee – Rosendal/Uskedal vs Hareid

 Three of our referees were honoured with games during the week that were broadcasted live on Norwegian TV2 a national TV channel, Stuart Pater, James Campbell and Brian Humphries.

Norway Cup Facts:

• 1500 Teams
• 33000 players
• 4200 games
• 400 Referees
• 50 Assessors
• 25 Countries represented by officials
• 45 11-a-side pitches
• 31 7-a-side pitches
• 7 9-a-side pitches

Representing Bedfordshire FA was:

Tom Danaher (Level 3)
Lee Forrester (Level 3)
Ian Stewart (Level 4)
Stuart Pater (Level 4)
James Campbell (Level 5)
Jack Scott (Level 5)
Giani Codrin Pop (Level 5)
Brian Humphries (Level 5)
Neville Stone (Level 5/Assessor)
Chris Hissey (Level 7)
Chris Howes (Level 7)
Lewis Stone (Level 7)

If you wish to find out more information about refereeing at Norway Cup 2016 please contact the UK Referees Co-ordinator James Campbell by emailing james.campbell30@hotmail.co.uk

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