SHEFFIELD REFS LEAD FUTSAL WAY

Sheffield football referees are leading the way in the new game of Futsal.

Derek Stillwell and Geoff Heath, from the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, are the only two English officials to reach international level in the sport.

Both refereed England's first game on home soil when the newly formed
national side played a friendly against Belgium in May.

The two officials then took charge of the Final in the FA National Futsal tournament at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield earlier this month.

Derek, 34, has now set his sights on becoming the first English referee to join FIFA's accredited list.

"It shows that if referees take-up Futsal they can reach the highest level," said Derek. "It would take you 10 years to be the official at an 11-a-side international game, but it has taken me just six months to achieve it in Futsal.

"We have been encouraging more referees to join as this is a great opportunity for them. It is a very exciting time for the game."

Futsal is FIFA's official version of five-a-side football and the game's popularity in England is growing.

New Futsal leagues are springing-up across the country, increasing the need for more FA referees to get involved. Sheffield's Futsal league takes place at the Sheffield United Academy on Monday evenings between 6-9pm.

For more information about becoming a Futsal referee, please contact the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA on 0114 2414 999. Alternatively, you can visit the FA.com website.