Bermudian Football Official Retiring In Canada
A Bermudian man who has been officiating football games in Canada for 27 years is officially retiring his post, prompting an Ontario newspaper to report on “losing an institution.”
According to the article, “After 27 years as the most recognizable face among local soccer officials, Mike Smith is hanging up his whistle.
“For 25 years, Smith has been scheduler and co-ordinator for 256 officials, ranging in age from 12 to 74, from Haliburton to Cobourg and Lindsay to Brighton.
“I loved doing it,” said Smith, who turns 60 in January. “I enjoyed seeing a schedule come together and seeing people enjoy themselves and putting teams of referees together – the best referees I could put together doing the best games they could.”
“Smith has worked at master control at CHEX-TV since coming to Peterborough from Bermuda in 1974.
“He started playing in what is now the Kawartha Senior Soccer League with the Vimar Juniors coached by Marv Buchan. When he hung up his cleats in 1987, Smith was talked into officiating by Peter Vanwensem.
“Two years later, he became scheduler for the Peterborough and District branch of the Ontario Soccer Referees Association.
“Officially considered a part-time job, Smith was on-call 24/7.
“If someone couldn’t make an appointment it was the scheduler’s responsibility to either do the game or find someone else to do it,” Smith said. “Schedulers don’t usually assign themselves games until the last minute in case they have to fill a spot.”
“He said it just felt like time to retire.
“I still love the game. I will still watch. I just thought it was time to hand it over to some of the younger people,” he said.
“It was a hard decision. I have a good corps of referees in Peterborough and the district. Not only was I a referee and a scheduler but I also taught many of them.”
