Young football referee making his mark

IN CHARGE: Young referee Ashley Wilson, 18, in action at Links Ave on Saturday. PHOTO: ANDREW WARNER

Tauranga City would rather forget their 1-8 thrashing at the hands of Western Springs United at Links Ave on Saturday.

But it was a game to remember for referee Ashley Wilson.

The 18-year-old, Year 13 student at Mount Maunganui College was in charge of his first Northern Region Football Division 1 game, joining a rare group of teenaged referees to officiate at that level.

Apart from almost wearing his arm out awarding goals to the Auckland visitors, he awarded two penalties and gave a red card to Tauranga midfielder Connor Irvine in a display of calm authority for one so young.

"It was good fun. It was a lot more flowing football than I thought," Wilson said.

"I have run the lines with Tauranga loads of times so I know they are quite slow but Western Springs played a really good game. They kept good form and it was a good step up from second division."

The best referees have an ability to calm down situations when tempers boil and Wilson has a natural calmness about him that can only help in those situations.

Verbal fireworks from players just don't bother him and his trademark smile is never far away.

"It is just in the moment. Ninety percent of the time they don't really mean it, they are frustrated and going out there to win," he said.

"If that is not happening that frustration just comes to me because I am not on either side. I make the big decisions and they get frustrated. That's just how it is."

Wilson says the three major decisions he made in the match, awarding two penalties and the sending off, were reasonably clear cut, although he admits the first penalty was the hardest decision he had to make.

Wilson took up the whistle aged 15 as he says he "was pretty hopeless" as a player.

"I played football and that was all I did and I sort of got dragged into refereeing and then I really enjoyed it."

For now, he is happy to continue learning his craft, gaining experience and the respect of the players.

But he has some big plans for the future.

"My main goal is to go to a world cup. That is the ultimate for every referee to get too. Otherwise A League and National League, that sort of stuff."

While Wilson was having a memorable debut there was not much for Tauranga City coach Barry Gardiner to rejoice about.

The big home defeat leaves his side comfortably placed mid-table after a rebuilding year and comes after a season-high 3-2 victory away at Auckland club North Shore.

But that win last week came at quite a cost. He had 12 players unavailable to front up to league leaders Western Springs, through injuries, suspensions and unavailability.

"We had a whole team out. We had to get some players back who haven't been playing this season so fitness for them was a big issue. We did struggle for numbers and certainly six of them would have been starters today," Gardiner said.

"We are obviously disappointed with the result but with the team we have got this season, we can be satisfied to end up where we end up. The points table doesn't lie."