FOOTBALL By Martin Morgan

Last updated at 14:01, Monday, 13 June 2011

Young referee Anthony Backhouse plans to reach the Premier League by the time he is 26.

Anthony Backhouse

Backhouse, from Heads Nook near Brampton, has joined an elite group of officials to reach level two status at his tender age, just six years after starting out as a referee.

A useful left-sided defender and midfielder, who played for the county at Under-14 and Under-16 level, as well as Warwick Wanderers and Northbank, his interest in refereeing was sparked by dad Chris, a level three official.

“I knew I would never make it as a professional footballer, and my dad always said if you couldn’t play it, the second best thing was to referee it,” added Backhouse, who also had another motive for taking up the whistle. “It was a good money earner for me. When a lot of my mates were working for three or four pounds cleaning dishes, I was earning £16 for doing something I really enjoyed.

“I would earn £20 on a Sunday morning, though some would say that’s the hardest £20 you ever earn in your refereeing career.

“But as a young referee I would say it was one of the most crucial parts of my refereeing career.”

After starting at the bottom of the pile at level 10 aged 14, he is already at level two, which means he can referee at Blue Square Premier level and act as an assistant from League Two up to the Championship. “You can count on one hand those who have achieved this level at this age,” he said. “I think there are four. Of those, Stuart Attwell and Michael Oliver are now in the Premier League.”

If by chance his football dream does not work out, he has another potential career to fall back on.

He is studying finance and investment management at Newcastle University and is considering a future as a commodities broker. Backhouse even had stints learning the financial ropes on New York’s Wall Street. And a spell in the Far East, studying Asian markets, might be next for the high-flier. He added: “My aim is to get as far in refereeing as I can, and put my other career on hold while I pursue it.”

First published at 14:11, Friday, 10 June 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk