Matt Messias
Encyclopedia
Matthew David Messias is an English
former football
referee, who operated in the Football League
, the Premier League, and also for UEFA
and FIFA
. He was first based in York
during his time as an official, subsequently moving to Barnsley
, also in the county of Yorkshire
. His other occupation was as a physical education teacher
.
county team, and for St John's College
in York). His playing career ended after cartilage problems in 1984, and when he graduated in Leeds
as a teacher, he started his career as a PE Teacher at Filey School then he took up a post as head of PE in Thirsk
. At about this time, he started to get more involved in refereeing, first handling matches in the York and District Saturday League
, then progressing to the Northern Counties East League
.
After further promotions to the Football Combination
and the Football Conference
, he was appointed as an assistant referee on the Football League
list in 1991, and in 1992, he advanced to the Premier League assistants' list. This was bettered in 1994 when he received the call from FIFA
to officiate for them as an assistant also.
In 1996, Messias became a Football League referee, and stepped up to the Premier League in season 2000-01
, refereeing his first match on 16 December 2000 at Pride Park
, when Derby County
defeated Coventry City
1-0, thanks to a Malcolm Christie
goal after 9 minutes. He booked four players, including Christie for "simulation
", although he later discovered that the player had not actually dived.
When Ipswich Town
played Spurs
in a Premier League match at Portman Road
on 12 January 2002, Messias failed to finish the game due to a calf injury, fourth official Rob Styles
taking over from him. It was not serious, and he was able to referee an FA Cup
match four days later.
In 2003, he was appointed to the list of FIFA
referees. Also in that year, he moved to Barnsley
from his previous home in York
- he had married a Barnsley girl, and the couple had recently had a baby together. And during a Premier League match between Newcastle United
and Birmingham City
at St James' Park
on 30 August 2003, he accidentally struck the City midfielder
Robbie Savage
in the face with his elbow whilst signalling a free kick
. Despite this, Savage finished the game, which Birmingham won 1-0.
On 24 May 2004, Messias was fourth official for Jeff Winter
at the FA Cup Final
, when Manchester United
beat Millwall
by 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium
, Cardiff
. He subsequently headed off to Germany
for the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
, and first handled two group matches - Italy
versus Belarus
on 27 May and Switzerland
against Portugal
on 30 May. Then, on 15 June 2004, he took charge of the competition semi-final between Sweden
and Serbia & Montenegro at Oberhausen
, which the latter country won 6-5 on penalties
after a 0-0 draw following extra time. He then went on to officiate from the middle twice in the UEFA Cup
in September 2004 - a first round tie between Banská Bystrica
and Benfica, which the Portuguese
side won 3-0, and a group stage match as Feyenoord defeated Schalke 04
by 2 goals to 1.
2005 was a mixed year for him; in April Messias was suspended for 14 days "for less than proficiently applying the Laws of the Game" according to the official Football Association
website. On 17 August 2005, he took control of a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
match between FYR Macedonia
and Finland
at Skopje City Stadium
, which the away side won 3-0. In September 2005, he also refereed a UEFA Cup first round tie between F.C. Copenhagen
and SV Hamburg
. In this match Messias was in focus again. He dismissed three players and the HSV coach. Furthermore he booked 11 players and gave two doubtful penalties to HSV. The last one deep into injury time.
In November 2005, Messias was rated fourth best referee in England by UEFA, who had regularly given him Club Competition appointments since 2004, despite by this time being completely overlooked for games in the Premiership.
On 19 January 2006, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited announced that by mutual consent Messias would retire as a Select Group referee as from 1 February 2006. As it turned out, by the time of the announcement, he had already chosen his last game to referee in a top class competition, this being the FA Cup
third round tie between West Bromwich Albion
and Reading
at the Hawthorns on 7 January 2006, which finished 1-1, courtesy of two penalties converted in the last eight minutes of the match by Zoltán Gera
of West Brom and Kevin Doyle
of Reading.
and Millwall at Molineux
on 19 April 2003 in the Football League Championship
competition. Referring to the two captains on the day (Paul Ince
for Wolves and Dennis Wise
for Millwall), he said: "At the toss-up they say 'Matt, leave us alone today please, we are going to kick **** out of each other. Will you just let us get on with it?' I had to think on my feet. I could either ruin their game by being involved too much, or risk abuse from supporters by letting them have a great time in the middle of the pitch. Against my better judgment, I opted to go with the players and they did exactly what they said they were going to do." The game ended 3-0 to Wolves, and with neither player cautioned.
Keith Hackett, the Premier League referees' chief, said: "The referee's brief is to control the game. If the laws of the game are not applied he will suffer as the assessor will pick up on this. If he [Messias] is saying he abdicated his responsibility in this article, maybe that is why he retired from football. I'm not disbelieving what he has said but sometimes when you are away from the game things can get exaggerated."
For his part, Messias highlighted the position of the professional referee regarding his peers, and also in relation to the media. "You are under a lot of pressure from players, managers and supporters. You drive home after a game and people will be on the radio having a go at you, Match of the Day
and the Sunday papers will be having a go at you, but you learn to deal with it- to control the controllables."
defender
, Linvoy Primus
, credited Messias (a Christian) with reinforcing his Christian faith
, once urging him "not to kick Laurent Robert
because the devil was trying to get him sent off", during a match with Newcastle.
Supporters Trust meeting on February 6, 2007 (he had already been an adviser to the main Barnsley Football Club, and had become refereeing mentor to Ryan Newman from Barnsley, who had recently become a Conference North
league referee).
He visited schools to pass on the benefit of his experience, such as his day at George Pindar Community Sports College in early September 2007. On 27 September 2007, he attended the Leicester-Shire & Rutland PE & Sport Conference 2007, held at Loughborough University
, where he delivered keynote addresses intended to 'Include, Improve and Inspire'. Matt Messias and his family migrated to New Zealand
on 7 October 2008. Messias continued his teaching career at Macleans College
Auckland
, where he taught physical education (PE) and coached the 1st XI Girls Football team until early 2011. He is currently a deputy principal of Howick College
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
referee, who operated in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, the Premier League, and also for UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
and FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. He was first based in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
during his time as an official, subsequently moving to Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, also in the county of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. His other occupation was as a physical education teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
.
Career
He first took up refereeing in 1982, whilst still playing (for the HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
county team, and for St John's College
York St John University
York St John University York St John University York St John University (formerly known variously as York St John University College (2004), York St John College (2001), Ripon and York St John: a College of the University of Leeds (c. 1996), University College of Ripon and York St John...
in York). His playing career ended after cartilage problems in 1984, and when he graduated in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
as a teacher, he started his career as a PE Teacher at Filey School then he took up a post as head of PE in Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
. At about this time, he started to get more involved in refereeing, first handling matches in the York and District Saturday League
York Football League
The York Football League is a football competition based in North Yorkshire, England, founded in 1897. Currently it is known under the terms of a sponsorship agreement as the York Minster Engineering Football League.-History:...
, then progressing to the Northern Counties East League
Northern Counties East Football League
The Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football...
.
After further promotions to the Football Combination
Football Combination
The Football Combination , is a football competition for the reserve teams of English Football League clubs from Southern England and Wales...
and the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, he was appointed as an assistant referee on the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
list in 1991, and in 1992, he advanced to the Premier League assistants' list. This was bettered in 1994 when he received the call from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
to officiate for them as an assistant also.
In 1996, Messias became a Football League referee, and stepped up to the Premier League in season 2000-01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
, refereeing his first match on 16 December 2000 at Pride Park
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
, when Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
defeated Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
1-0, thanks to a Malcolm Christie
Malcolm Christie
Malcom Neil "Malcolm" Christie is an English footballer who is a free agent. He has previously played for Nuneaton Borough, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Leeds United and has earned 11 England under-21 caps.-Career:...
goal after 9 minutes. He booked four players, including Christie for "simulation
Diving (football)
In association football, diving is an attempt by a player to gain an unfair advantage by diving to the ground and possibly feigning an injury, to appear as if a foul has been committed. Dives are often used to exaggerate the amount of contact present in a challenge...
", although he later discovered that the player had not actually dived.
When Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
played Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in a Premier League match at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
on 12 January 2002, Messias failed to finish the game due to a calf injury, fourth official Rob Styles
Rob Styles
Robert Styles is an English football Referee from Waterlooville, Hampshire, who officiates in the FA Premier League, and for FIFA. He has now retired.- Career :...
taking over from him. It was not serious, and he was able to referee an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match four days later.
In 2003, he was appointed to the list of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
referees. Also in that year, he moved to Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
from his previous home in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
- he had married a Barnsley girl, and the couple had recently had a baby together. And during a Premier League match between Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
on 30 August 2003, he accidentally struck the City midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage
Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
in the face with his elbow whilst signalling a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
. Despite this, Savage finished the game, which Birmingham won 1-0.
On 24 May 2004, Messias was fourth official for Jeff Winter
Jeff Winter
Jeff Winter is a former FA Premier League referee from Middlesbrough in the north-east of England.-Refereeing career:Winter took charge of the 2004 FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Millwall, his final game as a professional referee before retirement...
at the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final 2004
The 2004 FA Cup Final was the 123rd final the FA Cup and the fourth final to be played at the Millennium Stadium, the Welsh national stadium in Cardiff, due to the ongoing reconstruction of the usual venue, London's Wembley Stadium...
, when Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
beat Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
by 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. He subsequently headed off to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2004 was the 14th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Germany between 27 May and 8 June 2004.Italy U-21s won the competition for the fifth time...
, and first handled two group matches - Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
versus Belarus
Belarus national football team
The Belarus national football team represents Belarus in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus, the governing body for football in Belarus. Belarus' home ground is Dinamo Stadium in Minsk...
on 27 May and Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
on 30 May. Then, on 15 June 2004, he took charge of the competition semi-final between Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and Serbia & Montenegro at Oberhausen
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
, which the latter country won 6-5 on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
after a 0-0 draw following extra time. He then went on to officiate from the middle twice in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in September 2004 - a first round tie between Banská Bystrica
FK Dukla Banská Bystrica
FK Dukla Banská Bystrica is a Slovak football club from the town of Banská Bystrica. The club plays at the SNP Stadium .- History :* 1965 – Founded as VTJ Dukla Banská Bystrica* 1967 – Renamed AS Dukla Banská Bystrica...
and Benfica, which the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
side won 3-0, and a group stage match as Feyenoord defeated Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
by 2 goals to 1.
2005 was a mixed year for him; in April Messias was suspended for 14 days "for less than proficiently applying the Laws of the Game" according to the official Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
website. On 17 August 2005, he took control of a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...
match between FYR Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia national football team
The Macedonia national football team is the national football team of the Republic of Macedonia and is controlled by the Football Federation of Macedonia. Due to an ongoing name dispute, it enters international competitions under its country's provisional appellation as "FYR Macedonia"...
and Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
at Skopje City Stadium
Skopje City Stadium
Philip II of Macedonia Arena is a multi-purpose stadium in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, but sometimes also for music concerts or other events...
, which the away side won 3-0. In September 2005, he also refereed a UEFA Cup first round tie between F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
and SV Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. In this match Messias was in focus again. He dismissed three players and the HSV coach. Furthermore he booked 11 players and gave two doubtful penalties to HSV. The last one deep into injury time.
In November 2005, Messias was rated fourth best referee in England by UEFA, who had regularly given him Club Competition appointments since 2004, despite by this time being completely overlooked for games in the Premiership.
On 19 January 2006, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited announced that by mutual consent Messias would retire as a Select Group referee as from 1 February 2006. As it turned out, by the time of the announcement, he had already chosen his last game to referee in a top class competition, this being the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round tie between West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
at the Hawthorns on 7 January 2006, which finished 1-1, courtesy of two penalties converted in the last eight minutes of the match by Zoltán Gera
Zoltán Gera
Zoltán Gera is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. He usually plays as an attacking midfielder, though he has also played on both the right and left wings throughout his career...
of West Brom and Kevin Doyle
Kevin Doyle
Kevin Edward Doyle is an Irish international footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
of Reading.
Player influence: Wolves v. Millwall, 2003
In April 2006, it was reported that Messias had openly admitted to being persuaded by players to "let them get on with it", particularly during the match between WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and Millwall at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
on 19 April 2003 in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
competition. Referring to the two captains on the day (Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
for Wolves and Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....
for Millwall), he said: "At the toss-up they say 'Matt, leave us alone today please, we are going to kick **** out of each other. Will you just let us get on with it?' I had to think on my feet. I could either ruin their game by being involved too much, or risk abuse from supporters by letting them have a great time in the middle of the pitch. Against my better judgment, I opted to go with the players and they did exactly what they said they were going to do." The game ended 3-0 to Wolves, and with neither player cautioned.
Keith Hackett, the Premier League referees' chief, said: "The referee's brief is to control the game. If the laws of the game are not applied he will suffer as the assessor will pick up on this. If he [Messias] is saying he abdicated his responsibility in this article, maybe that is why he retired from football. I'm not disbelieving what he has said but sometimes when you are away from the game things can get exaggerated."
For his part, Messias highlighted the position of the professional referee regarding his peers, and also in relation to the media. "You are under a lot of pressure from players, managers and supporters. You drive home after a game and people will be on the radio having a go at you, Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
and the Sunday papers will be having a go at you, but you learn to deal with it- to control the controllables."
Religion
The Portsmouth F.C.Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Stephen Primus is an English former footballer.Born in Forest Gate, England, to Caribbean-born parents, Primus began his professional career at Charlton Athletic; where he made four league appearances...
, credited Messias (a Christian) with reinforcing his Christian faith
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, once urging him "not to kick Laurent Robert
Laurent Robert
Laurent Robert is a former French footballer. He was a left winger, and has played for the French national football team....
because the devil was trying to get him sent off", during a match with Newcastle.
Life after football
He ran a business, Matt Messias Consultancy Limited, offering help in coping with stressful occupations similar to that of an active professional football referee. He also appears as a guest speaker at sporting events, an example being his attendance at the Barnsley F.C.Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
Supporters Trust meeting on February 6, 2007 (he had already been an adviser to the main Barnsley Football Club, and had become refereeing mentor to Ryan Newman from Barnsley, who had recently become a Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
league referee).
He visited schools to pass on the benefit of his experience, such as his day at George Pindar Community Sports College in early September 2007. On 27 September 2007, he attended the Leicester-Shire & Rutland PE & Sport Conference 2007, held at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, where he delivered keynote addresses intended to 'Include, Improve and Inspire'. Matt Messias and his family migrated to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 7 October 2008. Messias continued his teaching career at Macleans College
Macleans College
Macleans College is a co-educational secondary school in New Zealand situated in the Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach. The principal is B J Bentley. The school is named after the Macleans family who after immigrating to New Zealand in 1850 farmed the area of land that the school is built on...
Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, where he taught physical education (PE) and coached the 1st XI Girls Football team until early 2011. He is currently a deputy principal of Howick College
Howick College
Howick College is a co-educational secondary school in New Zealand situated in the Auckland suburb of Howick. -House system:There are six houses in Howick College, each house is then subdivided into 11 tutor groups....
.
External links
- Matt Messias Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com