Congratulations to Year 9 student, Stacey Stewart, who has qualified as a junior football referee.

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 30, she will don her black referee’s shirt, for the first time, to officiate at an U11s match for Bishop Auckland St Mary’s Football Club.

Stacey also plays for St Mary’s U14s Girls Team. The club funded Stacey and her team-mate, Anna Brassell, 14, of Staindrop, to attend a ten week refereeing course run by Durham FA. They qualified on May 29, passing both written and oral exams on the Laws of Association Football, to become their club’s first female referees.

“Some parts were a bit difficult and others were easy,” said Stacey. “I decided to go on the referees’ training course after my father did it. I enjoyed the course.”

As a Level 8 Junior Referee, Stacey is qualified to officiate at matches where players are aged under 16 years. She will also be refereeing girls’ football matches in school.