Alan backed referee Wiley against Sir Alex Ferguson’s tirade (From Hereford Times)

Alan backed referee Wiley against Sir Alex Ferguson’s tirade

4:46pm Friday 11th December 2009

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A MAN who hit the national headlines after springing to the defence of football referees is from Hereford and grew up in Edgar Street.

Alan Leighton is a former Ledbury Grammar School pupil and Hereford Sixth Form College student who supports Hereford United.

The 49-year-old is a contemporary of Paul Keetch and, ironically, his photograph appeared on the back page of The Sun when the Hereford MP made the front.

His brother, Rob, works at Special Metals (Wiggin) in Hereford and his mum, Ann, who latterly lived in Bath Street, died earlier this year.

Alan Leighton should not be confused with the other Allan Leighton - the Hereford-born former Royal Mail chairman who also supports the Bulls.

“I am a born-and-bred Herefordian and I support Hereford United,” said Leighton, a former Lord Scudamore School pupil.

“I went to the game at Northampton and I thought the performance from Hereford was excellent.”

Leighton is the national secretary of trade union Prospect who are based in London and, among other members, represent football referees and assistant referees.

He made national news after Sir Alex Ferguson’s scathing attack last month on referee Alan Wiley.

Prospect called for the Manchester United boss to be given a lengthy ban for his remarks about one of their members.

“One of the most disappointing things has been the way that some people in the press have said we used the issue to get national recognition,” said Leighton.

“We have only issued one press release on the matter and that was to say that Alan Wiley was not going to take legal action.

“Our ethos had been to negotiate quietly but, in this case, the issue was so serious that we felt we had to go public.

“Comments to say someone is unfit and incapable of doing their job is unacceptable. Personal attacks and defamatory comments about someone are not acceptable in any job. Why should a football manager be allowed to make a defamatory comment about a referee?”

Prospect represent all of the Select group of Football Referees and the Select group of Assistant Referees.

They also have members from the National List of Referees and the National List of assistant referees.

“We have dealt with a huge number of personal cases that have all been done below the radar,” said Leighton, who has been working for Prospect for 25 years.

“There is far more money in football than ever before and the rewards are greater.

“Decisions made by referees are central to matches and the referees are now the people to blame. The stakes are higher and there is more pressure.

“Referees are human and are prone to human frailties and make mistakes just like players and managers.”

The issue involving the retirement age of referees is something that Prospect have been dealing with. Match officials have been members of Prospect for four years.

“The retirement age for match officials is 48 years old and that might have been acceptable five to 10 years ago but it’s not today,” said Leighton.

“Referees are much fitter and have to pass strict fitness tests and can stay at the top for longer.

“Referees are some of the most competitive people you will ever meet and all they are asking for is a level playing field.

“We have managed to get a select group of referees extended and we have got tribunals in force for a number of assistants who have been retired after hitting 48 years old.”

Many referees say they would welcome more help to make decisions but unlike rugby and cricket, football bosses are refusing to use video technology.

The call for video replays has been global after Thierry Henry’s controversial handball incident against the Republic of Ireland.

“It’s all very well to blame the referee for not spotting it but fundamentally it starts with the players,” said Leighton.

“The players have got to think about the game, think about the reputation of the game and their own reputations.”

Leighton is not sure whether the introduction of video technology to help officials would benefit football.

“Football is not like rugby or cricket,” he said. “In cricket the ball is dead after every ball but football is a fast-paced game with few stoppages.

“Play can travel from one end of the pitch to the other in 10 seconds and, if video technology is brought in, it will need to be managed.

“Managers often focus on one incident in a game and perhaps overlook an incident which, perhaps, went in favour of their team just five minutes earlier.

“If football is a metaphor for life, you get some hard luck but that’s interspersed with good luck. It’s important to keep everything in perspective.”

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