Having spent my whole life around non-league and lower league football, it has always astonished me how poor and biased the officiating can be at this level and how it hampers and undermines the integrity of the competition. 

Having watched multiple Chester FC Women’s games this season, I have been surprised at the varying quality and selection of officials, usually linesmen. At some games this season, the linesman has been a parent/supporter or the coaching staff of the two teams and not only this, but the varying expectations of these linesmen, with some not contributing efficiently.

In the most recent game, Chester FC Women played AFC Crewe in a crucial home match at the Deva Stadium, which saw Chester prevail as 5-1 winners with a dominant performance. Something that stood out to me was the fact that there was only one linesman and his role was purely to award throw-ins. This meant that the referee was responsible for calling offside decisions. I have been a referee myself for two years at a much lower level, and trying to call accurate offside decisions whilst also refereeing a game is nearly impossible.  

There were several points in the game at the weekend where awful decisions were made. I don’t blame the referee because he is attempting to do an impossible task; he is not in a position to be able to confidently make correct decisions. One goal for Chester came from a clear offside in the build-up, and Chester also had two or three clear-cut opportunities flagged for offside when they were clearly onside. On the day Chester was clearly the better side, so these calls didn’t have a tangible effect on the outcome, but what if it did? 

Chester FC Women now find themselves in 3^rd position with a real chance at promotion. If this level of officiating continues, Chester’s season could easily be undone by a poor decision. All the hard work they put in over the course of a season could be null and void by something completely out of their hands. Football is a game of fine margins, and one decision can completely derail a season and in the end could be the difference between Chester getting promoted or staying in the division.  

This type of officiating can also cause in-game frustration due to a lack of officials. If a team feels like they are being hard done by, being hampered and held back by poor decision-making. This can make the referee’s job even harder as they can very easily lose control of the game and cause a hostile atmosphere from supporters and coaching staff.  

Ultimately, I believe there needs to be more of a conscious effort from the FA or the clubs themselves to arrange at least proper line officials and non-biased personnel to positively impact the integrity of the games. 

By Jake Palmer