Millwall defenders join fast-track referee pilot scheme – Neil Harris feels it is “the future of the game”

Millwall players Wes Harding and Murray Wallace have started a refereeing course which intends to fast-track the path for ex-professionals to officiate in the Premier League.

Sixteen footballers, either still playing or retired, have started the three-year programme which is a collaboration between the PFA (Professional Footballers Association) and PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited).

Lions defenders Harding and Wallace are two of those involved.

Millwall head coach Neil Harris said: “We have got a player off doing an engineering course, we’ve got two players off doing a business course in their spare time and a player does a university course. Various players are doing their coaching badges.

“Wes and Murray have been off to have an initial look, when their careers have finished, maybe reffing. There was a big uptake from curren and ex players to want to be involved in that.

“It is a pilot scheme. Two really good professional men who would be really well-suited to it. Do I think it is the future of the game? Yeah, I think so. Just look at cricket, for example, and ex-players umpire.

“The biggets gripe for managers, coaches and players is the lack of consistency or maybe common sense. That’s not me hammering the referees, I mean that common sense regarding football matters.

“That is what players do have – the game understanding. Some refs do a brilliant job – and have done for a long, long time. But if we can integrate some ex-professionals into refereeing as well I can only see it as a positive.”