Keith Paterson
Referee Level
Level 6 – County (County leagues)
Referee Since
August 2021
Bio
Referee and coach at Wigan Athletic Women
Why did you start refereeing?
My daughter started playing football but sometimes had no referee available for their games. After a few weeks of standing in and refereeing 5v5 I really enjoyed it. I got talking to the league referees one week and they asked me to join them for the next season.
What is the most memorable match you have refereed and why?
Last season my most memorable match was for Everton Football College. I was expecting to be an assistant referee for a much more experienced referee but got to be in the middle. The game was a high intensity contest, with both teams playing some good football and lots of decisions for us to have to make and work as a team. At the end of the match we all spoke on the pitch about how good of a game of football it had been to be part of.
What is your current career highlight and why?
Assistant referee on the Sunday U18's Youth County Cup Final
What would you like to achieve in the next year?
Promotion to level 5
What is your ultimate ambition?
Referee a County Cup Final
Who has been/is your role model?
John Porter. John gave me opportunities in adults and schools football and was incredibly supportive in my referee career. It was a sad loss when John passed in 2022.
Best piece of advice given to you?
Take on as many assistant referee appointments as you can so you can learn from the referee in the middle. You can pick up good things, tips, techniques, positioning and communication points that you would like to bring into your matches and then can try them out in your own games.