Thursday 28 May 2015 09:31, UK
Jon Moss has been appointed as referee for the FA Cup final between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday, May 30.
The 44-year-old from West Riding has been awarded the game after a series of consistent performances in the Premier League.
Moss has officiated two Arsenal games and two Villa games this season - and both teams are undefeated when he has been in charge.
He took charge of Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, their first match of the season, and the 3-0 win over Stoke while officiating for Villa's 0-0 draw with West Ham and their 2-1 victory over rivals West Brom, when Christian Benteke's injury-time penalty earned Tim Sherwood his first points as manager.
It was a complete surprise. When I got the call it was the realisation of a dream really. For any referee it is the pinnacle of your career.
“It was a complete surprise. When I got the call it was the realisation of a dream really. For any referee it is the pinnacle of your career,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in the Community Shield and the Conference and Championship play-off finals, but this is the biggest game I will ever referee.”
Moss will be assisted for the final by Darren England and Simon Bennett while Craig Pawson will be the fourth official and Harry Lennard the reserve assistant referee.
He added: “As a young boy I used to watch the FA Cup final with my dad. We always had the programme and we went to a couple of finals at Wembley.
“You dream about playing in a final as a boy but I’ve dreamed about refereeing as I got older. Referees are no different to players and you strive always to get those massive games.”
He refereed his first game as a teenager, but only started to focus on officiating when a footballing career which started with Sunderland’s youth team, took in Connecticut State University in the US and then Millwall, came to an end.
“I’ve always been involved in football. As part of my A-level studies I qualified as a football referee, a basketball referee and a rugby referee,” he revealed.
'Promoted'
“At 18 I refereed my first game. I would be playing most of the weekend but I would do junior games on the Sunday afternoon. I was playing until I was 29. But when my career ended it was my love for football that encouraged me to focus on refereeing.
“I was a teacher at the time and it was something I used to do after school. It came from there and bit-by-bit you get promoted, and then it becomes your career.”
Moss continues to teach one day a week as an executive head at Beech Hill School in Halifax but has been a professional referee since 2011.
And he believes his experience as a player has helped him understand the emotions that come with top-flight football.
He revealed: “I was a competitive midfield player and I liked to tackle. Sometimes you mistime a tackle and you get the attention of the referee - but I was always polite!
“But I think it is healthy as a referee to know when the players get a bit frustrated and to take a backseat. I still like to do grassroots football. I did a junior game last Sunday after my game at Crystal Palace.
“Refereeing top-flight football and grassroots football have their own challenges. With Premier League football everything is magnified and every decision you make is under scrutiny."
