Recently, according to The Guardian, the organization BAMREF (Black and Asian Minority Ethnic Referees) is actively advocating for the Football Association of England (FA) to increase the number of
umpire
The diversity of the community is such that it is hoped that more people from groups such as BAME, mixed race, immigrant and women will get involved in soccer refereeing.
BAMREF was established in 2019 to provide support and assistance to minority ethnic referees, such as BAME referees, to help them overcome the barriers they may face in their professional development. The organization has been working for the past three years to improve the representation of ethnic minority referees at all levels in England.
BAMREF founder Joel Mannix said in an interview, "I'm preparing for the third BAMREF conference at Anfield on Sunday, and I think there's still a huge amount of work to be done to recruit the next generation of referees from different cultural backgrounds. The key is to make the job of soccer refereeing more attractive."
Mannix emphasized that while England demonstrated a diverse group composition at the Euros, there is still a low percentage of Black, Asian and female referees in the refereeing ranks. He hopes that through the work of BAMREF, this can be changed to make the refereeing team more diverse and more reflective of the multicultural nature of British society.
According to statistics compiled by BAMREF, of the nearly 37,000 registered referees in the country, only 243 are from black, Asian or female groups. This statistic shows that despite the broad mass appeal of soccer in the UK, the participation of ethnic minorities and women in refereeing still needs to be increased.
Mannix also mentioned that many young soccer fans may dream of becoming a Premier League star like Harry Kane, but this is relatively unlikely. In contrast, the path to becoming a soccer referee may be more feasible, and top referees can earn substantial six-figure sums.
BAMREF's aim is to encourage more young people, particularly those from ethnic minority and female groups, to consider becoming soccer referees and contributing to the development of English soccer. Mannix hopes that through BAMREF's efforts, more talented referees will be produced, leading to a more diverse and professional refereeing team in English soccer.
As the BAMREF conference and related discussions progress, we look forward to
English Football Association (EFA)
Practical actions can be taken to promote diversity in the refereeing community and create a fairer and more inclusive environment for the healthy development of soccer. At the same time, we also expect more young people to see the potential of becoming soccer referees and bravely pursue their dreams.
