Breaking barriers: The English referee using a wheelchair

Nathan Mattick has been a wheelchair user for most of his life and has always had a passion for football.

Despite the challenges of living with cerebral palsy, he regularly takes part in the game as the UK's first wheelchair user to have qualified as a referee.

Speaking with the English Football Association (The FA) as part of their Referee and Me programme, Nathan, 30, discussed his journey into officiating.

"I have always loved football since I was young, and I was given the opportunity to play but I didn't really like it," he explained. "I noticed the role of the match officials while I was watching a Premier League match with my dad and thought that I wanted do it."

Nathan qualified as a referee in 2013

When he initially explored the possibility, he realised he was too young to take part – the minimum age for taking a referee course is 14 – so he focused on gaining real-life experience instead.

I was given the chance to officiate some of my friends’ football matches and then progress to PE lessons," he said. "When I went to my local college, I told them I really would like to try and qualify as a match official and in 2013, I was able to. It’s the best decision I have ever made, I’ve met so many great people.

"When I did my first game, I was not entirely sure what the reaction would be to me being in a wheelchair, but it was very, very positive. They gave me advice and welcomed me with open arms.

"I’d love to see more people with different sorts of abilities to become referees. Refereeing is for everybody, and if you don't try, you never know. If you have a dream in life, always try and go for it."

The FA's refereeing programme

Nathan is just one example of how The FA’s referee development programmes are creating meaningful pathways for people from all backgrounds to pursue their ambitions in officiating.

As of December 2025, The FA has 37,518 registered match officials in England – a 7.1% increase on December 2024 – alongside 6,064 trainee referees. The association also welcomed 7,746 newly recruited referees during the year, marking a 5.3% rise on 2024.

Nathan hopes more people give refereeing a go

Together, these figures illustrate a strong and sustained growth, with more people than ever choosing to take up refereeing.

In addition to providing structured training and development opportunities, The FA also supports match officials through initiatives that address wider wellbeing. For World Mental Health Day, for example, The FA works with a network of mental health champions – volunteers from within the refereeing community who offer a supportive and empathetic listening space for officials experiencing worries or concerns. They provide a safe and confidential environment in which referees can explore their thoughts and feelings, and where necessary, receive guidance towards appropriate professional support.

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for refereeing games in English professional football, leads the CORE (Centre of Refereeing Excellence) programme, and in collaboration with The FA, launched CORE X in October 2023, specifically designed to address the historic underrepresentation of Black, Asian & mixed heritage officials who operate within the game. The programme provides expert technical coaching sessions and resources to help officials with the physical aspects of refereeing.

Inspiration for other associations

This continued growth and holistic approach to referee development can serve as inspiration for other national associations across Europe, showcasing how investment in education, wellbeing and inclusion can strengthen the refereeing community and, in turn, the game itself.

Other national associations are leading strong examples in this area. During the 2024/25 season, the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) undertook a significant effort to promote and attract more female referees across all levels of the game. Throughout the campaign, they highlighted women's experiences through a variety of storytelling formats, and for the current season, aim to encourage more girls and women to consider refereeing.

Refereeing initiatives led by national associations — such as those from The FA and the KNVB — highlight how football can champion inclusion, respect, fairness, integrity, openness, equality and unity across every level of the game.