1. Name?
   Russell Matthews
2. Age?
   46
3. How long have you been refereeing?
   15 years
4. What Level are you and what leagues do you officiate on?
   Level 5 - I now only referee on the St.Neots & District Sunday League as more often than not I work on Saturdays
5. Why did you become a Referee?
   As I was coming towards the end of my playing career I knew that I could do a lot better than some of the ‘muppets’ that were sent to referee our games.
6. Most inspirational person in your refereeing?
   I have a few - the original fitness training gang at Alconbury. My mentor Harry Mepsted, - Brian Strand, Roger Coxhead, Bill Tatman, Laurence Holgate, Vic Moseley and Dave Norman. If anyone had had a difficult game they would help you to work out where and why it went wrong and how you could improve your game to try to prevent the problem recurring. They would encourage you along and you ended up going out on the next Saturday thinking that you were ‘the man’.
7. Most memorable moment since refereeing?
   Getting my ankle broken in a ‘friendly’ game for the RA, which caused me to miss 20 months refereeing and ended up finishing my refereeing progress.
8. What is the funniest moment in any of your games?
   I can’t recall any particularly funny moments in any of the games that I was involved in. But I did witness ‘the streaker’ in Patrick Worrall’s Senior Cup Final at Warboys Town, which caused a stir and gave everyone a laugh.
9. What is the worst or frustrating moment in any of your games?
   I have suffered with calf injuries throughout my refereeing career and I usually end up finishing the game then spending 4/5 weeks out recovering.
10. What ambitions do you have whether refereeing or having given up the whistle...
    I have no ambitions left as a referee but continue to officiate as it would leave a big void if I gave it up. I assess on a fairly regular basis for the County F.A. and would like to assess at supply league or maybe even contributory league level if work commitments and ability permit.
11. Before each game you officiate on, what aims do you have?
    To finish the game having not injured myself - which hasn’t happened in recent times, to ‘do the job’ and hopefully finish with 22 players. I also try to have memorised the first names of all the players by the end of the game, as I think this can give you a ‘head start’ if/when they begin to ‘lose the plot’.
12. What most frustrates you on the field?
    Players with a ‘chip on their shoulder’ regarding officialdom, especially if I cannot ‘win them round’ before the game finishes.
13. What pleases you most on the field?
    An advantage that really works, preferably ending in a goal and the Banter with players.
14. What one change, if any, would you like to see in today’s game?
    The abolition of Law 11 - Offside. I think that this would really open up the game and it would be played with much less controversy. At the moment the interpretation of offside throughout all levels of the game is a shambles.
15. Is there any one piece of advice you would give to anyone considering taking up the whistle?
    Be Positive
16. Is there any one piece of advice you would give to another referee?
    Listen to constructive advice about your game and try to include it next time you referee.
17. Hobbies & Interests outside of football?
    Fishing, Polo, the Tour de France and following Tottenham Hotspur & Enfield F.C.
18. Who is your favourite footballer of all time?
    Paul Gascoigne - the goal in the 1991 F.A. Cup Semi-Final at Wembley that knocked Arsenal out, was a fantastic moment.