LOCAL STOURBRIDGE REFEREE COLLECTS NATIONAL GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL AWARD AT WEMBLEY
On Sunday 4th August, local referee, Chad Roberts attended the 2019 FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards national ceremony, held at the home of football, Wembley Stadium connected by EE, to collect his award after being named winner of the prestigious Grassroots Match Official of the Year award.
The FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards recognise and celebrate the tireless volunteers who dedicate so much time to the grassroots game. The awards are now in their tenth year and Chad joins a long list of inspirational grassroots football heroes who marched down Wembley way to collect their coveted awards.
At just 19, Chad is more than simply a referee and Referee’s Support Officer, he is someone who prides himself on going above and beyond his duties. He sees the opportunity to help and guide others to ensure that the level of refereeing, and refereeing discourse, is as high as possible in the Stourbridge & District Youth Football League.
Chad gives up his time to speak to referees - young and old - about any concerns they may have, set up an assistant referees’ workshop to give guidance to parents running the line and offers crucial advice to those considering taking up the role. Chad is our Grassroots Match Official of the Year.
Chad accepted his award from football legend Martin Keown ahead of The FA Community Shield, supported by McDonald’s, which saw Premier League and Emirates FA Cup champions Manchester City defeat Champions League winners Liverpool. During the half time break, Chad joined World Cup hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst on the pitch in front of 77,000 fans.
“I have been involved with the Grassroots Awards since the beginning and the stories of the winners never fail to impress me. Chad should be extremely proud of his work and grassroots football in Stourbridge is a much better place with Chad a part of it,” said McDonald’s ambassador Sir Geoff Hurst. “The English game is in a very good place at the moment with the Three Lions boasting a number of young and talented players, while the Lionesses have enjoyed a superb World Cup in France. Our national teams simply wouldn’t be in this place without the hard work of our grassroots volunteers – every player has to start somewhere. It was a pleasure to meet Chad and I hope he continues his extraordinary commitment to football for many years to come.”
Local McDonald’s franchisee Abdul Sirkhot, who is an avid supporter of grassroots football in Stourbridge, said: “It’s an honour to recognise the work of people like Chad within the grassroots football community in Stourbridge. Chad clearly goes above and beyond in his role and his commitment to refereeing makes him a very well-deserved winner. I’ve been supporting grassroots football in Stourbridge for many years, and Chad’s story really highlights the difference the volunteers make in the local community.”
Having worked with The FA over the past 17 years, McDonald’s is the longest-standing supporter of grassroots football in the UK. Through this partnership, McDonald’s continues to champion the tireless volunteers who dedicate countless hours to provide enjoyable football to children and young adults regardless of age, gender or disability.
In addition to championing volunteers, McDonald’s has committed to providing over 5 million hours of fun football to 5-11 year olds and giving 500,000 children the chance to play football for the first time by 2022 through Fun Football Centres and other initiatives across the UK.