Referee Journey
Name: Kamuzu Mputahelo
Age: 19
Background: I was born in Malawi in Africa, I
moved to England when I was eighteen months
old. I have grown up in the UK and have spent
most of my childhood living in Manchester. I
attended local Primary and High Schools and
enjoyed playing football as well as other sports.
I have always been active and love playing
football and participating in many different
sporting activities. I am also very interested in
sports in the media. I currently attend
Manchester Metropolitan University studying
Creative Multi-Media.
Referee Qualifications: Level 6 County Referee
What was the inspiring factor to become a referee?
For many years, I have lived with my adoptive parents who I see as
family as both of my parents passed away when I was a very young
age. They have always supported me in every aspect of my life and
have motivated & encouraged me in my decision to train and become
a referee. I do not often discuss my personal situation with people,
but a lot of young people in my situation are viewed very negatively
and I wanted to change some people’s views and opinions. I hope
that I am evidence that young people who are black and have had a
difficult childhood can make the right decisions and do positive
things in their lives. It is my dream that one day I will inspire others
to want to referee and be positive role models to young people. I
have always been a fan of football and have played since being a
small child. I recognised from an early age that the referee
determined whether the game was good or bad. A great referee can
determine the success of a game. I started to admire referees,
although I must admit that at times I still gave them a hard time when
I disagreed with a decision. I was quite inspired by Uriah Rennie
when finding out about him as I had never heard of a black male
referee who had made it to the premiership before, this was great for
me as it gave hope that one day I could maybe officiate at the top
flight of football. I especially admire Howard Webb who is a great
role model for young referee’s and has achieved many great things
through ought his refereeing career. I admired and respected the
professionalism and knowledge from both referees. I decided that I
was interested in becoming a referee and enrolled for a course. I
hope that one day I will inspire others to want to referee and be
positive role models to young people.
What has been your biggest challenge to date with regards
to refereeing?
I feel that as a young black male there are many stereotypes about
people like me. In every walk of life I have to prove that I am not juts
a stereotype but a real person who cares and is both intelligent and
successful. I have had to prove this on and off the pitch with some
players, managers and spectators. I always treat everyone with
respect, remain calm and referee to the best of my ability. Although I
have never actually been directly discriminated against I feel that the
way I act and treat people will promote a positive image of young
black men.
What is your most memorable moment?
My most memorable moment of my refereeing to date was when I
was asked to officiate at a charity tournament at Manchester City
Football Academy. Whilst refereeing I felt very privileged to have the
opportunity to officiate a number of games with both Chris Foy and
Howard Webb. I felt very honoured and proud to officiate and talk to
two very professional and esteemed football officials. I feel that I
learnt a lot about the challenges of refereeing and being in the public
eye from them and their peers. I hope that I one day could be a role
model for other young officials as are these two men.
Greatest achievement in refereeing?
I feel that my best achievement in refereeing was being accepted as
part of the MCFA Academy as I have over the years developed myself
as an official and person a lot. It has taught me how to conduct myself
in a great professional manner and also meet new people from
different backgrounds with a same interest in refereeing. I have been
able to meet great professionals in the football world and have also
been given numerous great opportunities whether it be events,
tournaments, days out or development sessions. It was great to be
part of the MCFA Development group and have now been accepted a
place in the MCFA Academy. I view this as an honour as this is an
esteemed achievement and am fortunate to be supported and guided
by other higher-level referees in the Academy.
Another great achievement for me is how proud my family in
England and in Africa are of my refereeing and me. They continue to
be interested and want to learn all about my refereeing experiences. I
feel that making my family proud of me is always an achievement in
my life.
What advice would you give to an individual interested in
refereeing but was unsure of getting started?
I would recommend that anyone with a genuine interest in becoming
a referee should definitely discuss their options with other referees
and to contact Manchester County FA and enquire about the training
course and what would be expected of them. I would be happy to
discuss my own personal journey in refereeing and how I feel I have
developed as both a person and a referee. I would offer any help and
support that would be needed to assist any one who wanted to
pursue a career in refereeing.
What is the next step for you in your refereeing journey?
I feel that I would like to pursue my refereeing career and look at
ways of self-promoting my self. I have recently been promoted to a
Level 6 referee and this has been a challenge. My short-term goal this
year is to be promoted again to level 5. My long-term goal is to
become a professional referee and hopefully, one day referee
professional football at the highest level. I will work hard to achieve
this and continue to gain inspiration and motivation from both my
peers and other high profile referees. I am blessed to have been part
of this journey and believe that as long as I work hard and learn from
my mistakes I will achieve my short and long-term goals.