Tuesday 21 March 2017 16:03, UK
Peterhead's Grant Anderson knows being a referee is far from easy.
Just ask the local official who red carded the former Hamilton, Raith Rovers & Queen of the South player FOUR times in a single match back when he was in his teens.
You'd perhaps be surprised then, to find out Anderson has recently become a qualified referee and is intent on making his way up the Scottish FA ladder.
By his own admission that event in his youth changed the way the Peterhead winger acted towards referees.
And having seen life through the eyes of officials Anderson is aware of how tough it can be.
I know how footballers work so it helps that way. I know what to expect, I know what's coming
"As I've got older I've mellowed out a lot. I used to be really bad when I was younger, I used to be one of the top culprits for shouting at a referee."
"I even got an eight match ban. It was a long time ago, I was only 15 or 16, but I managed to get myself sent off four times in one match or something like that. It spilled on from the side of the pitch back into the changing rooms. It was terrible."
"Probably at that point from getting that ban I gave up going mental at referees, and as I've got older I have got better."
Anderson joined Peterhead in Scotland's League One in January following spells in the Championship with Hamilton Accies, Raith Rovers and Queen of the South.
It was only much later on in the career of the 2014 Scottish Challenge Cup winner that the thought of getting into refereeing crossed his mind.
His entry into the world of officiating came following a conversation with a referee after playing a match for Raith Rovers in 2015. And the speed of his progress came as a surprise, even to him!
"What happened was I was playing a game and John Beaton was the referee and I'd been interested in it for a while so I thought I'd ask John and see if he could give me any advice."
"After the game I spoke to John and he said he'd e-mail me something through. And then I get a text from him the next day saying 'that's you booked on to a refereeing course!'"
"So I went to the course, completed the course and that was me a referee. I went from investigating it and wanting some information be being on the course the next night!"
Having qualified through a 10-week course with the Scottish FA in 2015, Anderson is licensed to officiate matches in the Club Academy Scotland (CAS) league up to under-17 level and can take charge of amateur games.
He says he's fortunate enough not to have experienced any serious abuse in his short career and that youth academies in Scotland are taught to respect referees.
"The CAS league are bought up to respect referees. Don't get me wrong, they will question decisions because that's natural. But it's not foul and abusive language. We are told specifically if that happens then it's a red card so they learn their lesson at a young age."
With over 250 matches already under his belt in the SPFL, Anderson believes a footing in playing the game at that level gives him an advantage over other officials who have not.
"I know how to keep up with the game, I know things that are happening during the match that maybe someone with less experienced wouldn't. For example, if someone takes a dig at somebody, I know that within the next 5 or 10 minutes he's going to try and get one back on him."
"So I'm watching for that, and it's not a surprise to me when it happens. And I know how footballers work so it helps that way. I know what to expect, I know what's coming."
Having recently gone back to full-time employment as a mechanical estimator using his Building Services Engineering degree from Glasgow Caldeonian University. This, added to Anderson's mid-week training schedule and weekend fixtures with Peterhead, means he is restricted as to how much time he can devote to gaining referee experience.
The newly fledged official takes charge of youth matches most Sundays but admits he is happy to focus on his playing career until time is called on that.
"I've always said I'd be annoyed at myself if I stopped playing so I'm going to play as long as I possibly can because you only get one football career. I'll play as long as my legs can carry me then I'll dip into the refereeing."
"Whether or not the Scottish FA believe I am too old at that point to do it at the highest level I don't know. Like I did with my football career I'd like to go as high as I possibly could and just see where it takes me. They've been nothing but supportive but I can't make the training the referees do regularly."
"Throughout my full professional career it has never been offered up. Nobody has ever said 'what do you think about becoming a referee' or anything. I did it all off my own back."
"So it's not a question that's asked a lot in the senior ranks. I don't know, maybe if you did ask a few players they might consider it. But at the moment nobody gets asked. I don't know whether it's assumed because you are a professional footballer you wouldn't be interested in being a ref because you know what comes with it."
