Capital Football can today announce the appointment of experienced Referee and administrator Mark Hester to the position of Referee Development Manager for Canberra and the surrounding region.
Following experience with FIFA and the Oceania Football Confederation in roles spanning and combining Referee Development and Fitness, Hester is currently working as the Referee Development Manager for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Football in New Zealand.
Hester will join Capital Football in May and said he is looking forward to the opportunity.
“I believe it is a bit of a step up from where I am currently, in terms of more referees and a larger population,” Hester said.
“But the most attractive thing about this role is to be involved in the development of the referees, looking at improving the standard, and working with the football community to achieve better refereeing which in turn leads to better quality play and safer footballing environments.”
The appointment of Hester follows on from Capital Football’s 2018 Referee Review, which identified seven focus areas to help improve the safety, performance and retention of referees in Canberra and the surrounding region.
Football Federation Australia’s Director of Referees Ben Wilson has worked with Hester previously and said his appointment is a big positive for the region.
“It is a coup for Canberra to have Mark join Capital Football,” Wilson said.
“Mark is vastly experienced and qualified for the role having worked in refereeing with FIFA, Oceania and New Zealand Football.”
“Mark’s understanding of refereeing at all levels will benefit Canberra’s referees and I look forward to working with him.”
A brief outline of Mark’s experience is below .
- Referee Development Manager, Waikato Bay of Plenty Football (3/10-5/13 & 1/17-Current)
- Referee Instructor, FIFA Referee Assistance Program (7/13-2/16)
- Head of Refereeing, Oceania Football Confederation (1/14-2/16).