By TERRY MADDAFORD
Soccer referee. Died aged 45.
Whenever soccer players saw Brian Precious drive into the carpark at a ground, they knew they could look forward to an enjoyable game.
Regarded throughout his refereeing career as a "players' referee", Precious was always determined that any game in which he was blowing
the whistle should be a pleasant one.
Viewed by his peers and players as a "good bloke", Precious, as a referee, was also one of the best.
After injury stopped his playing career, he swapped his playing strip for a referee's whistle, and rose quickly through the ranks.
After just six years as a member of the local association, he was promoted to international body Fifa's list of assistant referees (linesmen) in 1994, a role he filled for two years. He then took a mandatory one-year stand-down before gaining his full Fifa referees' badge.
Consistently rated among the top three among New Zealand' senior referees, Precious had his first international appointment in 1997 when he controlled preliminary matches for the France 98 World Cup.
He continued to play a key role at a number of Oceania Football Confederation tournaments right through to last year's World Cup qualifiers.
His biggest disappointment came when injury forced his withdrawal from Fifa's under-20 championship in Argentina.
A regular referee at both New Zealand and Australian national league games, Precious was recognised as Auckland's top referee several times and in 1996 and 2000 was named New Zealand's referee of the year.
The Oceania president, Australian Basil Scarsella, said this week that Precious "was one of Oceania's leading referees".
"He was a shining light at numerous OFC tournaments performing his duties with integrity".
Players regarded Precious in the same light as other popular referees - including John Cameron, Gary Fleet and Bruce Grimshaw, as officials who enjoyed nothing more than contributing to a free-flowing game - without the need to flash red and yellow cards.
Unlike some, Brian Precious was always happy to discuss a game over a beer in the clubrooms. And he was always keen to act as a mentor to aspiring referees.
Precious was forced out of the game he so loved after he was diagnosed with cancer in January. He is survived by his wife, Yvonne, and sons Aaron and Carl.
