Whanganui ref Fifa qualified

FOOTY FAN: Whanganui referee Matt Stoneman is a fan of both the indoor and outdoor game and is now a Fifa qualified futsal ref, one of just three in the country. PHOTO/Natalie Sixtus

Whanganui football referee Matt Stoneman is making history on the world stage.
He has become just the fourth ever New Zealander to be awarded a Fifa futsal referee badge and the first ever from the River City.

Stoneman has long been an outdoor official refereeing major games throughout the country and only narrowly missed gaining qualification to rule at National League level last season. However, gaining that qualification in again on his radar this year.

In the meantime, futsal, the fast-paced indoor cousin of outdoor football will be his major focus.

Stoneman gained his international accreditation with help from Central Football and is now one of only three active futsal referees currently officiating.

Central Football referee development officer David Lawrie said the country's No1 Fifa futsal referee is Chris Sinclair from Christchurch, while the only other is also from the central region.

"New Zealand didn't have any teams at last year's world futsal championships, but we had Chris Sinclair officiating," Lawrie said.

"According to Sport New Zealand futsal if the second fastest growing sport in the country and it is also on the rise internationally. It has taken these guys a lot of work to receive Fifa qualification which makes them among the top in the world in the sport, not only New Zealand."

Stoneman conceded a lot of work had gone in to gaining international recognition and could simply not have happened with huge support from family and employers.

"I've pretty much just lived and breathed family, work and football for years," Stoneman said.

Until October last year, anyone from Whanganui seriously wanting to play the indoor game was forced to travel to the Manawatu league.

"We have our own league in Whanganui now. There are three divisions. The first division teams are mainly made up of outdoor players and they're up there with the main Manawatu teams, while division two is a mix of serious and social. Division three is mainly all social.

"Futsal and outdoor football are two completely different games to referee even though the rules are very similar. It is a very fast-paced game played in a small area, so there's a lot of contact stiff happening that we need to rule on.

"I'm still heavily involved in the outdoor game and hope to get qualified to referee National League this year, while carrying out my futsal commitments. We have the Victorian State Championships coming up in April in Melbourne and then there's the Youth Olympics qualifiers in August at a venue yet to be set. It will probably be in the islands though and involve us Kiwi referees," Stoneman said.