Cumberland FA has been reflecting on the long career of match official and volunteer Steve McMahon who was presented with a Long Service Award last month.
The Cumberland FA Chair Adam Pattison presented Steve with The FA token of appreciation. The FA Long Service Award is presented to individuals who have given significant service to the game, includingaw minimum of 50 years’ active service.
Beginning his football journey aged 16, Steve began his referee journey 8 years later following an injury that curtailed his playing days. That move into refereeing was 48 years ago and he continues to officiate locally today!
Steve’s Football journey to The FA Long Service Award:
- Steve’s football career commenced as a player within an open age team called Bridlington Hotspur, playing in the Driffield & District League in 1968, aged 16.
- He continued to play with a team called Riding Wanderers, again based in Bridlington, until he stopped playing due to injury.
- Around 1976 he passed his referees course and immediately commenced as a referee, joining the Driffield Referee Association.
- 1978 he moved to Loughborough, but continued to referee and joined the Loughborough Referee Association
- In 1980 he was on the move again to Barnetby on Humber where he obtained his class one status from Lincolnshire County FA.
- In 1988 Steve moved to Seaton and first registered with Cumberland FA, refereeing within the county and joining the West Cumberland Referee Association. He is still an active referee today.
- However, as well as being a referee Steve has also fulfilled numerous other essential positions within the county. This has included being the treasurer, secretary and for the last 15 years the Chair of the West Cumberland RA.
- He also took on the treasurers’ position with the West Cumberland League, which then became the Cumberland County League and after doing this role for around 4 or 5 years he then took on the league secretary position where he remained until he resigned around 2015.
- For a number of years Steve also acted as the referee appointments secretary for the Cumberland County League, and also the Wearside League appointing for home fixtures for the Cumberland based teams.
- In 2006 Steve was asked to become a referee observer at County Level and Level 4, which he continues to do
- In addition to this Steve was a member of the Cumberland FA Referee Committee/Advisory group for a number of years and is a discipline commission member who sits on disciplinary hearing as a member of The FA’s Regional Disciplinary panel.
Cumberland FA Chair Adam Pattison said: “For anybody to achieve 50 years of service within football is an incredible achievement and takes dedication, passion and commitment to the cause.
“Steve, throughout his career, has demonstrated what it takes to have a long, established and successful career within football and has held several roles within grassroots football whilst doing so. Steve is a true gentleman of the game and we are delighted to still have Steve dedicating his spare time to our local game.”
