The First Wheelchair Using Referee

Nathan Mattick, England

England Football (The FA) and Goal Click teamed up for a special series telling the story of disability football in England through the eyes and words of those involved across elite and grassroots disability football - including players, coaches, young leaders, and referees.

My name is Nathan Mattick, I am 26 years old, and I am the UK’s first ever wheelchair user to qualify as a football referee! I am also a Board member for The Referees’ Association and a match day volunteer for English Football League Club Cheltenham Town FC.

I am originally from London but am currently living in Gloucestershire. I was born with a condition called cerebral palsy, which means the left side of my body is weaker than my right and I have to use an electric wheelchair to help me move around.

I have always loved football since I was a young child. When I was in primary school I was able to play a little bit of football with my mates in my Kaye Walker (my mobility aid), which I enjoyed.

As a young child, one day I was watching football with my dad and I noticed the role of the referee. I thought, ‘this could be a cool job, why can’t I be a referee?’ So I decided to find out if I could qualify as a match official, but unfortunately, due to my age at the time, I could not become a referee.

When I was at secondary school, I was given a whistle so I could officiate my friends’ football matches during break and lunchtime. During my time at school, I was given the opportunity to referee games for fellow students in PE and Games lessons, so I could gain experience in refereeing. I loved it.

I studied for a BTEC in Sports Science (Level Two and Three) at the National Star College. Before becoming a student I had the chance to visit the college with my parents. I was able to speak to the Sports Department and explained my dream of becoming a football referee. I made it my mission to see if could become a referee.

When I went to college, I knew I wanted to become a referee. However, some people doubted me and said I could not be a referee because of my disability and being a wheelchair user. This made me upset, but I was determined to achieve my dream.

When I became a student the Sports Department contacted the FA for me and arranged for me to do a course at the college. In 2013, my dream came true and I qualified as a referee. I became the first wheelchair user to qualify as a football referee in the UK!

A big challenge I have had to face as a wheelchair user and a referee is the weather. When it is raining and cold, I have to have to be extremely careful - as electricity and water do not go well together.

Once when I was officiating in a tournament, it was raining and the conditions got worse and worse. My chair just completely stopped, even though my chair had enough charge. I had to be pushed off the pitch into a taxi to get home and my chair controller had to be replaced as it got too wet.

To overcome these challenges, I make sure I always officiate on a 4G pitch and if the weather is not great, I usually ask someone to take over so I can get my chair to a safe area while it is running. Once the conditions get better, I go back to refereeing again.

There have been so many brilliant highlights and opportunities in my career so far, which I am very grateful for. From refereeing my very first game as a qualified match official to meeting and learning from referees at all levels to being a board member of The Referees’ Association.

These photos show the Gloucestershire Ability Counts League tournament in Bristol, a pan-disability football league that I referee regularly. Other photos were taken at an English Football League game at Cheltenham Town FC, the team I currently volunteer for on match days as a programme seller.

Refereeing has had a massive positive impact on my life. It has helped me improve my communication skills, teamwork skills, and given me more confidence. Football has helped me through good and bad times. It helps with my mental health too.

Refereeing has allowed me to be part of the game I love and I am very grateful for the support from everyone I have received.

I plan to continue refereeing for a very long time and as much as I can, and maybe referee in different leagues. I will not be retiring anytime soon!

I want to continue to share my story and look for a part-time job in football. My ambition is to be a Public Address Announcer at a football stadium.

I believe people with disabilities can still do many things, we may just do it in a slightly different way. People with disabilities can get involved in football, whether it is coaching, refereeing, volunteering, or being a TV reporter or presenter.

The future of disability football is bright because more people with disabilities are playing football. In my community there is the possibility of a Youth Ability Counts League as well, which is great news as it will allow more young people with disabilities to play the sport.

However, more needs to be done to get the word out there about disability football as I believe a lot more people should know about it. We should inform more match officials about disability leagues so they are aware they can officiate disability football too!

For anyone with a disability, I would encourage them to get involved.

Doors could open for you; you never know how many opportunities could come your way. If you don’t try, you never know.