Harrow Referees Association

Harrow RA’s Hon. Secretary, David Roberts receives the Referees' Association Administrator of the Year Award 2019

Harrow RA’s Hon. Secretary, David Roberts receives the Referees' Association Administrator of the Year Award 2019 from Referees’ Association Chair, Paul Field at the Referees’ Development Weekend in July.

David Roberts, Harrow Referees' Association's Honorary Secretary was nominated by Graeme Thorley, former President of both the Harrow Referees' Association and the Middlesex County Referees' Association for the Award in the category of Referees' Association Administrator of the Year 2019.

We are pleased to inform you that it was announced at this year's Referees' Association Referee Development Weekend Awards' Dinner in July that David Roberts was chosen as the winner of the Referees' Association Administrator of the Year Award 2019 from over a dozen nominations.

Copied below is the nomination Graeme's submitted to the Referees' Association:

David Roberts has been secretary of Harrow RA for 12 years. During this time he has developed the role well beyond the provision of basic secretarial services. Harrow has neither a separate membership secretary nor a recruitment and retention officer; both roles fall to David to manage which he does effectively. In addition he manages the day-to-day finances in conjunction with the treasurer who works away from the area. This is a significant undertaking for any local RA but all the more impressive when you consider that throughout David's tenure Harrow has been one of the biggest local RAs in the country with a commensurately large administration overhead.

David was instrumental in securing Harrow's QUEST Bronze Award, gained in June 2017. He created, collated and submitted the extensive supporting paperwork and was commended for his submission by QUEST board member John Key and auditor John Gahan for helping make the audit process a lot easier. He helps ensure the management committee continues to comply.

David maintains the membership database including subscription payments, records of meeting attendance and an audit trail of actions he has taken to chase renewals - an activity in which he invests a lot of time and energy - and reasons given for non-renewal. At all times he is mindful that data be stored securely and that Harrow continues to comply with the latest data protection legislation.

David communicates frequently with the membership through email, text and updates to the Harrow RA Twitter feed (@HarrowReferees). He also runs a publicity network for the Middlesex County RA and its three local branches, using e-mail addresses supplied by the County FA. In liaison with local lead tutors he uses this network to solicit support from local referees to watch and advise trainee referees while refereeing their first matches.

The wider membership has recognised David's value to Harrow RA by voting for him as Members' Member of the Year three times since the award's inception in 2009.

David has demonstrated time and again his hard work, dedication and commitment to the cause of refereeing. This in turn has helped Harrow RA operate to the highest standards and to continue to flourish at a time when many local RAs are struggling.  I am delighted to nominate him in the category RA Administrator of the Year.

Graeme Thorley

Former president of Middlesex County RA and former president of Harrow RA.