We are excited to have a Match Official of Ben's experience on board at LCFA as we look to further increase our support for referees across Merseyside.

Ben is a current Football League referee and has progressed through the refereeing pyramid for the past 12 years. He is a passionate supporter of grassroots football and has excellent local knowledge and understanding of Liverpool refereeing.

In addition to his refereeing credentials, Ben has worked in both primary and secondary education.

Alongside his refereeing in the Football League, Ben was recently the Vice-Chairman of the Referee Association, and is an FA CORE coach; helping referees pursue their ambitions to progress within the referee pyramid.

Upon his appointment, Ben said: “I want to inspire, educate and promote refereeing to everyone, because refereeing has given me so many amazing opportunities and taught me an abundance of key life skills.

“I’m extremely committed to supporting and developing Referees across our region. I have met many of our outstanding grassroots referees and their love for refereeing and football is second to none. I am driven to ensure our referees have the right support and opportunities to reach their potential, whatever their level in the game."

Steve Swinnerton, Liverpool County FA Football Services Manager, added: “I’m delighted to be able to welcome Ben to the team. Throughout the recruitment process, Ben has demonstrated a real passion for Refereeing and I’m confident he will be a great asset to our team and our Referees.

“This is an important role for the grassroots game locally, and so we look forward to having Ben on the staff here.”

Ben joined Liverpool County FA last week, and all emails should be directed to Benjamin.Speedie@liverpoolfa.com