Do you often stand along the line at a football match on the weekend? Then you know that referees are indispensable on the field. These amateur referees deserve to be put in the spotlight, according to ARAG and KNVB.
That’s why they now have a chance to win the title’Amateur Referee of the Year‘. There are also Zoetermeerders who have been nominated for this title. And you can use it now until November 20th to vote. Who do you give the profit to?
Most votes count
A provincial winner with the most votes is chosen from each province of the Netherlands. This way, after all votes have been checked, you are left with twelve nominees per category. With two categories, there are ultimately twenty-four nominees left. A jury of experts judges these twelve referees and chooses a national winner. The big winner will be announced in January 2023 on FairPlay Day and can call himself ‘Amateur Referee of the Year’ for a year.
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The professional jury consists of big names in the football world. Sjoerd Mossou (a Dutch football journalist), Marc van Erven (CEO of ARAG Netherlands) and referees Bas Nijhuis and Franca Overtoom. So you can be sure that everything is taken into account when assessing the nominees.
This wins the Amateur Referee of the Year
Of course there are also prizes for winning an election. ARAG and KNVB present an award in two categories: the KNVB Official Award and the KNVB Association Referee Award. So you can vote for an official referee from your favorite club and for a nominated friend, family member or acquaintance who occasionally whistles at the association.
ARAG and KNVB are not looking for the best referee who can whistle matches. According to them, a good referee is much more than that. The ‘Amateur Referee of the Year’ must also always be ready for the club and stand for fair play on the field.
These divorcees from Zoetermeer have been nominated
Curious if someone you know from Zoetermeer has been nominated? You can search by name via the search function on the website. You will then find the link to this referee so that you can vote for it.
This is how you cast your vote
Voting is very easy. Select your favorite referee from the region and cast your official vote. Please note: you can vote twice per person: once for an official referee and once for an association referee. In order for your vote to count, it is important that you confirm your vote by email, otherwise it will not count. Who do you think deserves that title?