Scottish Junior Cup Final Programme 2024

RYAN LEE
ROSS ANDERSON
(MATCH REFEREE) (ASSISTANT REFEREE 1)
Date of birth: 20 September
1996
Referee since: 2013
Date admitted to Scottish FA
list: 2016
What influenced you to
become a referee? A former
teacher of mine approached
me at school one day and
asked me if I fancied giving
refereeing ago. I was quite
surprised as like most 16 year
olds who grew up playing
football, refereeing was
never much of a thought for
me. So I then went along to
the introductory referee class
at Dalkeith Campus for 6
consecutive Sundays and I
have never looked back since.
I absolutely love refereeing.
What is your biggest
refereeing achievement to
date? When I started out
refereeing, achieving
Category 1 status as a referee
was what I’ve worked really
hard towards and I am
absolutely delighted to be a
Category 1 match official.
However, the biggest
achievement of my career to
date is undoubtedly today.
Just like players, we give
everything in our games each
week to hopefully be involved
in cup finals at the end of the
season. But to be involved
today, as referee, in the
Scottish Junior Cup Final is a
massive honour and privilege
and one I am really looking
forward to.
If you could referee a match
between any two teams and
at any venue, which teams
and where? You can never
say never in football but in
the future I would love to
referee an Old Firm derby in
the Scottish Cup Final. And as
much as I think Hampden
Park is great, and the perfect
place for this game, a one off
at the Santiago Bernabéu
wouldn’t hurt anyone.
What is the best thing about
being a referee? I would say
the best thing about being a
referee is creating memories
that will last forever. My
Grandpa, who sadly passed
away unexpectedly in 2018,
was my biggest supporter and
he used to travel with me to
all of my matches on a
Saturday. The memories I’ve
made with my Grandpa will
last forever and he always
said that he would hopefully
still be around to see me at
Category 1. I hope he’s
watching down on me today
with a smile and enjoys the
game.
What is your funniest
moment as a referee?
My funniest moment as a
referee has to be when I was
refereeing in Dunbar a
number of years ago, without
any assistant referees, and a
player who miskicked the ball
at full force, hit me square in
a place you don’t want to be
hit. I fell to the ground, let
out a “ooohhhh” as I
struggled to breathe, and
thought I was going to be
sick, which was met with a
few laughs from the crowd
and also a few “get it up ye”
chants. I struggled to find this
funny at the time as anyone
who knows what this is like
well…….just knows. But after
a few minutes I saw the funny
side and had a good laugh
about it after the match with
players and spectators. You
can’t ever take yourself too
seriously.
Date of birth: 15th May 1993
Referee since: 2012
Date admitted to Scottish FA
list: 2015
What influenced you to
become a referee? The high
school I attended offered the
course as a subject in 6 th
year. All my friends were
doing the course and I didn’t
want to miss out. After my
first game I never looked
back.
What has been your most
memorable match as a
referee so far? I was an
assistant referee during a
Motherwell v Sligo Rovers Cup
game at Fir Park. Growing up
in Motherwell, it was always a
dream to get on the Fir Park
turf and being on the pitch in
such a competitive game with
friends and family in the
stand was a great experience.
What is your biggest
refereeing achievement to
date? I was the Assistant
Referee at the Scottish Youth
Cup in 2014.
If you could referee a match
between any two teams and
at any venue, which teams
and where? The Milan derby
at the San Siro. The
atmosphere would be
electric.
What is the best thing about
being a referee? Being
involved in football at a much
higher level then I would have
ever reached as a player.
Do you have any hobbies?
Refereeing is my main hobby.
It takes up takes up a lot of
my time with training, games
and teaching the new
entrants classes. I have a
young family so spend all the
spare time I have with them.