Words: Staff Writers
Image: Getty Images

Alan Milliner has refereed in the Hyundai A-League for over five years, been in the middle for a FIFA World Cup Qualifier and received his FIFA badge in 2014.

He also regularly officiates in the PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues and is our feature referee for this week's instalment of the PS4 NPL Referee Spotlight series.

How did you originally become involved in football?

I played junior football at The Gap from the age of six until I was 16, where I become the second youngest to play for the Senior Men’s first grade team before moving to Taringa Rovers where I played in the XXXX League competition (now known as the Flight Centre Premier League).

How did you become a referee?

I got my first taste of whistling as a young kid at The Gap as they were the first club to introduce kids from the club to referee rooball games. It wasn’t until I attended Kelvin Grove State High School’s Soccer School of Excellence that I obtained my Level 3 accreditation. I started to referee while I continued to play to earn a little bit of extra pocket money, until 2002 when I was asked by Football Queensland to make a decision to concentrate on refereeing or playing. At the time I wasn’t enjoying playing through multiple injuries and the decision was pretty easy to concentrate on refereeing and follow the career path that was developed.

What aspects of being a referee do you enjoy most?

I enjoy the camaraderie and friendships that I have been able to develop over my career, whether friends from my local branch, to friends interstate and even friends I have made internationally. Some of my closet friends are fellow referees. Even though we’re mates we’re still fiercely competitive but don’t let that get in the way of our friendships.

Another aspect I enjoy is the travelling. I’m very fortunate being a FIFA/AFC and FFA official that I get to travel around the world to some amazing places which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to visit had I not been a referee.

What is the highlight of your refereeing career to date?

Spanning over a career of 14 years I have many highlights and they are all as important as each other. However, the most treasured highlight would be receiving my FIFA badge for the first time in 2014 and having it presented by my idol Mark Shield.

My international highlight would be refereeing my debut match, Japan v New Zealand at the Tokyo National Stadium in front of 70,000 spectators, and my domestic highlight is refereeing the Hyundai A-League Semi Final between Western Sydney Wanders and Brisbane Roar in the 2012/13 season.

What is something a non-referee would not know about your craft?

People don’t understand the work that referees do prior to refereeing a match. People just think we turn up and blow our whistles. They don’t know the hours of preparation that referees put in during the week prior to our matches. Referees also do a minimum of two physical training sessions, then theory sessions and match preparation. The higher the level you referee, the more time and effort in training and match preparation is required.

What advice do you have for an aspiring referee or someone thinking about joining the #ThirdTeam?

Go and out and have fun with your refereeing. If you’re not enjoying yourself and trying too hard then you are concentrating on the wrong things and not the game itself. In saying that, it does take a lot of hard work and determination. Listen to the advice that is being given to you.

Interested in becoming a referee? Learn more about the #ThirdTeam and find courses, resources and registration information at www.footballqueensland.com.au/referees.