Referee Recognition Awards 2025

The 2025 Referee Recognition Awards brought together the refereeing community from across the country on Friday, for an evening of celebration, reflection and recognition.

Now into its third year and hosted by Matt Smith, the ceremony featured ten categories to honour the dedication, resilience, and passion of match officials at every level of the game, from grassroots to the global stage.

FA Chair Debbie Hewitt MBE was in attendance at the National Football Museum in Manchester to help present the awards and see some of the work taking place with match officials across England.

The Club Recognition Award was won by Harrison Fage, a youth referee whose dedication to girls’ football, coaching, and creating inclusive matchday experiences makes him a standout figure in grassroots football. Ashley Northin was also highly commended in the category.

Gary Lambert-Snaith claimed the Outstanding Contribution to the Refereeing Community for empowering young referees in Waltham Forest with mentorship, life skills, and community leadership.

Eversley and California FC were presented with the Positive Environment Award, with the club recognised for embedding a culture of support for match officials, with outstanding leadership and safeguarding across all age groups.

The Referee Volunteer Support of the Year went to Richard Simpson for developing a structured and supportive pathway for youth referees across the Berkshire Youth Football League. In addition, Chris Geelan and Jeannette Morgan were highly commended for the award.

Mackenzie Beaumont-Gardner – a rising talent in Hertfordshire FA who overcame personal loss and adversity to become a respected and rapidly progressing young referee – was named the Newcomer of the Year.

The Championing Diversity Award was given to Folu Aladelusi who was described as a transformative force at Manchester FA, creating pathways and safe spaces for underrepresented referees, with Amelia Sagnella highly commended.

Adrian Francis was chosen as the Inspirational Role Model of the Year for spearheading referee development initiatives in Milton Keynes and creating new opportunities for young officials. Paul Kirby was also highly commended for the prize.

Lewis Skinner – an autistic young referee who promotes inclusivity through professionalism, empathy, and passion in every game he officiates – received the Outstanding Contribution to Refereeing award.

With over 50 years of service in Guernsey and still active both on the pitch and in referee development, Geoff Ogier won the Lifetime Achievement Award, with Phil Crossley highly commended.

And Darren Cann took home the FA Special Recognition Award, having overseen 1,000 professional matches including representation at the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League Final.

There were also a number of individuals presented with international caps.

Those included Keith Stroud, Jeremy Simpson, Craig Pawson, Harry Lennard, Richard West, Gavin Sartain (Futsal), Marc Birkett (Futsal), Mel Burgin, Lisa Benn, Jane Simms, Lisa Rashid, Natalie Aspinall, Sian Massey-Ellis, Rebecca Welch and Gary Willard, whose family received the award on his behalf.

Congratulations to all of our winners.