‘‘It was a bit of a whirlwind” – first televised match for Chichester student referee
A Chichester student who combines his two passions of football refereeing and physiotherapy has recently marked a career milestone with his first televised match.
Johnny Kane, a third-year Physiotherapy student at the University of Chichester, refereed his first TV game last month between Chelmsford City and Maidstone United in the National League South. The game was live on subscription service DAZN across Europe.
Johnny began refereeing games at 16 as a hobby to earn a bit of extra money, but it quickly became a more serious career option when he joined the FA’s Centre of Refereeing Excellence scheme. A rapid rise through the ranks means that he now regularly officiates multiple games a week in leagues including the National League South around the country as a Level 3 referee. He has also been nominated to represent FA CORE at several Premier League tournaments between Premier League academy teams and was selected to officiate multiple finals based on performances during the tournaments.
Asked how he balances his studies with his career as a referee, Johnny said: “It’s been tough to fit it around my studies – without the support of my family and my girlfriend it wouldn’t be possible. Balancing a demanding degree in physiotherapy with refereeing isn’t easy, but you just have to compartmentalise it – when I’m refing I’m not thinking about my physio work.”
“The TV game was a bit of a whirlwind really, but it was a really nice moment to share with my family. It made all the hard work worthwhile. I took the advice of fellow referees – you have to treat it like every other game and not think about the cameras!”
As far as his future career is concerned, Johnny’s not planning to choose between refereeing and physiotherapy. He said: “I’d like to combine working as a physio with refereeing and see how far I can take both opportunities!”
To find out more about Physiotherapy courses at the University of Chichester, visit https://www.chi.ac.uk/health/course/bsc-hons-physiotherapy/
