The men with the whistles
| Hary Milas (left) with Iain McGill Image: Anita Milas
The Homeless World Cup referees in Amsterdam were sponsored by Monarch, now Love Holidays, we spoke to the referees about what inspired them to pick up the whistle and what keeps them coming back year after year.
The Homeless World Cup’s referee team is made up of international and local volunteers. Many of the international crew have been coming to the event for many years and all take holidays from their day jobs to attend. They are a truly special bunch who put their hearts and souls into making everything run smoothly year-on-year. Head referee, Scottish referee, Iain McGill explains what drives them.
“The quiet folks at the Homeless World Cup are the referee team. Pulled together from across the world, we have the best view in the house of the fast-paced football served up by the teams. If all goes to plan, nobody notices that we are even there, but we are, making sure that the passions and competition don’t boil over.
“I have been involved since 2005 when the tournament came to Edinburgh, and have been to all tournaments since. Together, we are a highly experienced and professional team, all bringing something different to the tournament. We are always learning from each other. Football cultures from around the world differ: that is obvious in different styles of play on show from the different nationalities, and it is also sometimes apparent in the refereeing styles. We enjoy a good debate over the interpretation of the rules maybe more than most!
“For me it is the best refereeing I have ever done. It is immediately apparent that the football at the Homeless World Cup is more than just a game. People are changing their lives, addressing their issues, developing as people right in front of us.
“The referee team is made up of experienced referees from across the world. Referees from the host country make up half of the team, and the other half is made from referees that have officiated at previous tournaments. Host countries go out their way to impress with their referee selections, who all volunteer their time for free.
“Two referees that are exemplary of the quality and ethos of the team are Kim Milton Nielsen, one of the most famous, experienced referees in the world, and Camilo Gonzalez, who as a player in Rio 2010 received a dreaded blue card and who by 2014 in Santiago had turned his life around and was a referee.
“The referees all volunteer with their home street soccer organisations, and often further afield as well. In Scotland I enjoy working with Street Soccer Scotland, but have also had opportunities to support our partner organisations in England, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the Netherlands. It is great seeing folks develop over the years, teams form, bond, represent their countries and then continue to contribute to the projects on their return.
“The imposing Paul Nagtegaal, one of our Dutch referees, has led on developing a referee development and training programme that is now being delivered in conjunction with the Homeless World Cup to partner organisations across the world. The future of the referee team is developing referees like Camilo. We are proud to see it grow.”
The Homeless World Cup is grateful to Monarch, now Love Holidays, for sponsoring the referees’ kits.
Michel said: “You can’t explain the support and what it means to us, because it’s in your heart. We’re one family: players, coaches, players from previous years…It’s different from a normal tournament, and it’s incredible to be able to be involved.”
Hary Milas said: “From a referee’s point of view, with sponsors such as Monarch funding the international referees to travel to each subsequent Homeless World Cup enables us to continue with the professionalism that we feel that we add to the competition by way of ongoing experience.”
Image: Anita Milas