"Jack, doing well."

Neil. Barry patted Jack on the shoulder. Neil in recent times. Barry is getting better and better for Jack. It's because of Neil. Barry started out as a candidate for England's chief referee, but lately he has been slowly replaced by Neil. Barry is already the only candidate identified as the head referee.

It can be said that everyone in English football knows that the next chief referee is Neil. Barry.

Keith. Hackett officially became England's chief referee in the election at the beginning of this year, with a three-year term. That is, until January 2005, Keith. Hackett will be the chief referee in English football.

Keith. After Hackett is Neil. Barry.

So now Neil. Barry is no longer on the field. Even if he is arranged, he will be the fourth referee at most. Even the fourth referee, Neil. Barry is also occasional. The first is that he is too old to go to the law enforcement competition.

The other one is because of Neil. Barry has started working on the refereeing committee and is not just a Premier League referee.

From a Premier League referee to a senior member of the referee committee. Neil. Barry's mind now has changed completely. When the Premier League referee was in charge, he and Paul. Dugin, Graham. There is also a-for-tat confrontation between several old referees of Babel.

At that time, everyone was constantly fighting for their own interests.

The conflict of interest between them is also significant. After all, when you promote referees, you want to promote referees on your side. So at that time Neil. Barry also had no less wars with them.

But now he sees it differently. The angle of the station is different, and the idea is also different.

When he became the chief referee, these people were all under his hands. So he can't be too obvious. To downplay your own faction. So he has a very good attitude towards powerful referees.

"Thank you."

"Jack. I'm looking for your opinion. ”

If Villar told Jack for advice, it was all about taking care of Jack's face. Because Jack isn't a fart in European football. In European football, I don't know how many international referees have far more weight than Jack. In the current European football world, there are not one or two international referees with more than ten years of international referee qualifications. Jack, a young referee who has just been qualified as an international referee for only a year, really has little weight in European football.

Villar, a UEFA chief referee, is what he says. Where does Jack have room to have an opinion.

But it's not the same in English football.

Neil. Barry says to ask for Jack's opinion, and that's really asking for Jack's opinion. It's really been a long time since there have been no good referees in English football. Including Bol and Conor Gallagher, that is, playing tricks within English football.

But that was all about their seniority and connections within English football.

But Jack is different.

Jack has his own teacher behind his back, and there is no shortage of contacts in English football. In addition, Jack shined in the World Cup, and it was the group stage of this season's Champions League. The status has improved too much.

In the current world of English football. Jack's position among the Premier League referees is already very prominent. It's just that the qualifications are insufficient, so it hasn't fully manifested itself.

Therefore, there is nothing about the referee committee that can't get around Jack.

"Neil, you say."

Jack is also slowly adapting to the current changes. In the past in the affairs of the referee committee, Jack could not interject. But now without Jack, a lot of things can't be done.

"Jack, you should know. The Premier League has a new batch of assistant referees to be promoted. Do you have anything to recommend. ”

Shared interests.

Formerly Neil. Barry doesn't understand, but now Neil. Barry already understood. These top referees in the Premier League have their own connections. Refereeing is almost vertically managed. The referees in the lower leagues all have their own backgrounds in the Premier League.

You've got to make the top referees in the Premier League happy.

You can't get all the benefits from one person or one aspect of everything. Hence Neil. Barry has to deal with all the Premier League's top referees, including his former arch-rival Paul. Dugin, we have to discuss it.

See who these people are going to recommend.

"How many slots?"

Jack didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked Neil. Barry. Now Neil. Barry has not yet become the head referee, but only participates in the work of the referee committee.

But it's because of Neil. Barry is in a special position where he can dredge up and down. Above is the chief referee, Keith. Hackett. Here are the Premier League referees.

"This time the Premier League has to promote a total of five assistant referees. It is estimated that after this time, the next one may be two or three years away. ”

Promote one a year. This kind of thing is rare for assistant referees. Like the Premier League, many referees are a turnip and a pit, if there is a pit. Then you need to make up for one.

As Neil currently does. Barry, Paul. Dugin, Graham. Babbel and the others are about to retire, and as soon as they retire, someone will immediately come over to fill their vacancies. Because there are not many referees in the Premier League.

But the assistant referee is different.

The number of assistant referees is large. So there will be no problem with a few fewer people. If there are not enough assistant referees in the Premier League at any given moment, a few people can be brought in from the lower leagues. Therefore, the Premier League promotes several Premier League assistant referees once every few years. If you don't catch up with this time, those next ones are estimated to be years away.

"Five assistant referees."

Jack nodded. Five assistant referees were promoted at one time, which is not a lot of people. More than ten is possible. Because of the assistant referee in the Premier League, many are not just an identity.

In order to be able to become a referee, many assistant referees in the Premier League will be turned into referees to officiate in the lower leagues. There are many such referees, and it is estimated that a third of all assistant referees in the Premier League will switch to refereeing. In this way, although there are a lot of places, there are not many who actually work as assistant referees in the Premier League.

Therefore, in a few years, in addition to those who retire and become referees, there will be a lot of vacant positions. So it's not uncommon to get ten Premier League assistant referees promoted at once.

This time there were only five people. Not much, really.

Five people, though not much. But Jack knows Neil. Since Barry asked himself, he wanted to give himself a favor. This is not a time for humility.

"I don't know many referees. Brett. Vaughn referee is good. ”

Jack didn't know many referees. Because Jack's promotion was too fast. It was in 1995 in the Northern League and in 2000 in the Premier League. From assistant referees in the Northern League to head referees in the Premier League, there are almost ten levels, but Jack has only taken five years.

The time was so short that it was not possible to establish a complete network system in the lower leagues. I really don't know many people.

But there are also people who have a good relationship with them.

Brett. Vaughn.

When Jack first worked as an assistant referee, Brett was the first assistant referee. Vaughn was paired with Jack. The two have known each other for seven years, and they can be regarded as referees who have a good relationship with Jack.

Since there is such an opportunity, Jack of course wants to recommend the referee who has a good relationship with him. This is also a move to increase his voice in the English refereeing community.

"Brett. Vaughn referee? ”

Neil. Barry nodded. After all, the assistant referee is inferior to the referee in status, so there is also a gap in age. Most of the Premier League referees. They were all thirty-three or four-year-olds, and even thirty-five years old.

The assistant referee in the Premier League is different.

In general, they are fine after the age of thirty. In particular, those assistant referees who have not gone through the experience of refereeing are even younger.

Brett. Vaughn is one of those referees.

Starting as an assistant referee in the local league, to the assistant referee of the Northern League, the assistant referee of the English League C, the assistant referee of the League Two, the assistant referee of the English League One, anyway, Brett. Vaughn didn't think about being a referee either. His idea was simple, to be an assistant referee in the Premier League.

So in terms of the age of the assistant referees, Brett . Vaughn is just right. Chinese New Year's Eve year old this year, there is no problem in being promoted to assistant referee in the Premier League.

"Did Howard say anything?"

Jack counted the current Premier League referees. Except for Neil. Barry, Paul. Dugin, Graham. Babbel is in addition to the three old referees who are about to retire. And Bol, Gallagher, Mike. Riley, Mark. Halsey, these wonderful referees. Then there are the less experienced Webber and Jack.

With so many referees, it's not easy to divide this place.

Other referees Jack can not care, but Webb Jack can't not care. After all, from the origin and friendship with each other, Jack and Webb are natural allies. Maybe Weber had his own list. But it was snatched away by Jack, and no one looked good at that time.

"I've talked to Howard and he's recommended Potter referees."

"Is it all possible?"

There are so few places. Typical monks have more porridge and less porridge. Can Webb and Jack compete with so many old referees?

"Yes. This time there are too few places, and a few old referees will not participate. ”

"Really?"

"Yes."

Jack had some surprises. The assistant referee is far inferior to the referee in terms of status. But it is also an important force in the refereeing world. A lot of assistant referees will become referees, but of course very few end up being referees in the Premier League.

But many of them have been able to get into League One refereeing. So they're also a very important force. Everyone is vying for the spot.

I didn't expect these old referees to give up this opportunity this time. What Jack doesn't know is. Jack and Webb are both developing too fast. Jack's status has skyrocketed because of his mistakes.

However, Webber has improved his status in English football with his solid results.

It is precisely because the two people are developing too fast, but they do not have the strength to match in the Premier League. Therefore, everyone tacitly handed over this opportunity to the two young referees. They don't want to offend two people when their upward momentum is so violent.

"I see." (To be continued......)