We have some exciting updates to share regarding the referee development team at Leicestershire & Rutland County FA, along with some bittersweet news about a valued team member's departure.

New Full-Time Referee Development Officer

To better meet the needs of our referees and stakeholders, we are delighted to announce that our current part-time Referee Support Coordinator role has been expanded to a full-time Referee Development Officer position.

This role will focus on recruiting and converting new referees, allowing us to increase course delivery to meet demand. Additionally, the role will oversee the appointment of match officials to County Cup competitions and other assignments, such as LCFC academy games.

This position will be managed by our Referee Development Lead, who will now have more capacity to focus on retaining and progressing match officials throughout the referee pathway.

For the first time, Leicestershire & Rutland County FA will have two full-time staff members dedicated to recruiting, converting, retaining, and progressing referees. This enhancement will strengthen our robust referee support system.

Farewell to Jacob Lehane - Referee Development Lead

We are sad to announce that our current Referee Development Lead, Jacob Lehane, will be leaving his role shortly after a successful three-year tenure. Jacob has overseen significant developments in referee development, including:

- Recruiting a record number of referees

- Retaining referees to exceed pre-COVID levels

- Delivering two exceptional referee summits

- Hosting our inaugural County Cup final appointment evening at the King Power Stadium

Jacob also developed several new projects, including the Referee Friendly Club programme, the Arising Referee programme, and weekly referee support surgeries. We are proud of Jacob’s achievements and hope the referee network continues to benefit from his hard work.

Jacob’s last day with the County FA will be Friday, 19th July. He will be moving to Manchester to take up the role of Referee Development Officer at Lancashire FA. We thank Jacob for his hard work and wish him well in his new role. We also wish him luck as he continues his progression through the Assistant Referee pathway, which saw him officiate in the Championship for the first time this year. Good luck, Jacob!

Interim Structure

With these changes coinciding, Chris Hodson will take up the position of Referee Development Officer immediately. During the interim period, Chris will prioritise course delivery, referee registration, the referee promotion scheme, and early-season County Cup appointments, while continuing to provide wider referee support as needed. Chris will be supported and managed by Shaun Waite, our Head of Football Development and Facilities.

We will make further announcements soon regarding the recruitment for the vacant position in our staffing structure.

Should you have any queries, please reach out to Chris or Shaun via Referees@LeicestershireFA.com.