4th turns into AR

[Rufusabc]

Carling Cup Match between Chelsea and Liverpool on Wednesday. Lot's of traffic going to the evening match, and the fourth official calls ahead to say he is going to be really late. The League then gets a local (non Premier League official) to stand by as the fourth in case the real fourth doesnt arrive. He makes it with seconds to spare, BUT, one of the AR's comes up lame at the coin toss! And the 4th is pressed into duty as an AR. And the local ref becomes the 4th.

My question: What would have happened if the fourth hadn't arrived and the local fourth was pressed into service? And do AR's at the highest levels in English Football ever progress to the center? If so, when do they make the progression?

By the way, the game as always was rough and tumble and the local fourth had his hands full of the Liverpool manager during a sending off.

[falcon.7]

...My question: What would have happened if the fourth hadn't arrived and the local fourth was pressed into service? And do AR's at the highest levels in English Football ever progress to the center? If so, when do they make the progression?

By the way, the game as always was rough and tumble and the local fourth had his hands full of the Liverpool manager during a sending off.

If you take a quick look at bios of most of the current Premier League referees, you'll find that nearly all of them were Premier League/League One ARs for at least one, usually 2 or 3, years before being given whistles. It gives them a chance to gain experience at the higher levels.

Except for FIFA-sanctioned matches, I don't think there is a hands-down requirement for someone to be a certain level to do a match. I'm sure that the FA wouldn't exactly have been comfortable with a non-Premier League referee doing a game, but if you have no choice, you have to go with it.

You have to wonder how the local guy felt about the whole thing. He gets a phone call telling him to pack his things for Liverpool-Chelsea cup match, ends up being a 4th and has to put everything he learned together at once to deal with a coach...good stuff :).

[campton]

All i know is that said referee must have been the most excited and nervous person in the world at that moment.
Thats quite an opporitunity.

[Englishref]

To be fair, the 'local fourth', is Jarnail Singh, a FL referee of about 3 or 4 seasons experience, who regularly does 4O jobs on the PL, including Chelski (because of his proximity to Stamford Bridge - he's Middlesex FA).

As for Peter Walton, it was funny to see him run the line, given he hasn't done it for several years. His technique certainly left a lot to be desired. :D Had he not made it in time, Singh would have taken over from Paul Norman, and they'd have had to get a qualified referee from the stands to do 4O until Walton arrived.

And as for the question about whether top ARs make the progression, most do. Phil Sharp is an obvious exception, who by his own admission, considers himself a better AR than referee, and has officiated on about every major game in world football, but never gone higher than a L3 referee. Glenn Turner is a similar example. However, a lot of the younger referees progress. Gavin Ward and Roger East were both FIFA ARs, but are now L1 referees, regularly refereeing FL games. Given their respective ages, they could make the SG in a few years time. Matt Messias was a FIFA AR who progressed to the SG, but got dropped after a supposed mistake and ultimately resigned. The promotion ladder dictates that all referees you see in the PL or FL have had to serve some time as an AR on the FL, PL or FIFA list.

[Rufusabc]

I knew the Englishref would know the answer to the question....thanks.