EXCLUSIVE | Josh Brammer Referees Abroad Part 2

Recently, rather unexpectedly one of our members Josh Brammer attended the Donosti Cup with Referee Abroad, a non profit organization created to give referees the opportunity to referee on an international basis with low cost and major reward. Josh has been a keen member of BNMRA for a few years now acting as Media Officer on the Committee. 

As many already know Josh has attended a couple of tournaments before - Ibercup Spain and Cascais. On the last two occasions, Josh was appointed respective Cup Finals on the 7 v 7 categories of the tournament officiating teams such as Barcelona, Benfica and Porto. 

At the Donosti Cup, Josh officiated on 22 games in total all 11-a-side with many teams from the Basque Country and beyond. Josh was respectively appointed to the Girls Under 25 'Category B' final as an Assistant Referee. Josh was in a team of 4 on the final day, supporting Czech Referee Varol. Josh worked with officials from 12 different countries, including Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Slovenia, France and Japan. 

Upon his arrival back to Manchester, we caught up with Josh about the trip. 

First of all congratulations on your Cup Final appointment, how are you feeling after the tournament?

"Thank you - it was a great tournament as always but now I'm very tired after a busy schedule and looking to recharge my batteries ready for the new season. It was really long, refereeing roughly 7-8 games and acting as an Assistant on something like 12 or 14 games has its benefits and disadvantages respectively. It was another great tournament, I'd definitely love to do it again all over without regret. But 22 games in 5 days is certainly a lot, and demands a lot mentally and physically."

To put into perspective, the 22 games equate to roughly 1100 minutes of football - which would be 12 90 minute matches in 5 days! The tournament played all 11-a-side football in 50 minute matches, allowing for plenty of football and running. 

You talk about the mental and physical aspects of the tournament, how did you feel during the tournament?

"Mentally it was difficult in the conditions presented to us. On the day of the knockouts especially working in 26-27 Degree heat it was tiring, however when you're there with your team of officials, you push on and in the end complete your games successfully. There was certainly some pain in the legs after the continuous amount of games, it was very difficult however it was well worth it."

This tournament was almost the beginning of Pre-Season for you, how do you look at preparing for the season now you have returned home?

"Well yes, it was fantastic to get back to Refereeing after the break. It is a great feeling being out on the pitch especially in a different country Refereeing teams from America, Spain, Mexico and so on, whilst working on my physical game ready for the season. It was brilliant and I feel really good physically after the tournament."

There are always referees from several different nations, what is it like to work with them with different styles and potential language barriers?

"It's fantastic, you always learn so much as you have to deal with difficult situations even quicker and smarter, especially if there is a language barrier between officials in your team. Admittedly, this is rare as most the people who attend the tournaments speak really good English, however it did occur on some occasions, you have to be clever with how you communicate, at one stage we were even using Google translate to communicate with another official on our cup final! It really is amazing working with other officials and a fantastic experience which I couldn't recommend more. In terms of styles, as I said you can learn so much take in what you like and maybe remove stuff you dislike from your own game - everyone has their own way and style of refereeing and that's the amazing thing about working with different people, you can find what does and doesn't work for you and your own game". 

Several of our other members have also attended tournaments like these, including fellow committee members Matt Clarke and Kaan Hayes. What would your advice be if someone was deciding to do a tournament like you, Matt or Kaan?

"Do it. There is nothing better than refereeing with different personalities from different nations and it can't be understated the amount of lifelong friends you make. I've met some fantastic people and hopefully one day I'll come across them again on another tournament."

You talk there about attending another tournament: what or where would you like to officiate next?

"I've thought about this and discussed with my friends a lot, where we would like to go. And I think it's fair to say a tournament in America would just be incredible. Firstly you get time to visit the nearby locations or cities, perfect to relax after a busy day or two. Secondly, America is simply appealing and to go over to the other side of the world to referee would simply be a dream made possible by Referee Abroad, so that is hopefully the aim and idea for next year". 

Finally, what are your aspirations for the season? 

"It's a fairly simple one for me - grow and become an even better referee. Hopefully achieve promotion to Level 5 and simply referee as much as I can."

Gallery

Plenty of moments to remember; check out what Josh got up to and some of the venues he visited during his trip away in a more visually appealing way!