Running the line at home and abroad

IN anyone’s book Andrew Nethery’s rise through the ranks of football officialdom is nothing short of remarkable.

In eight short years the young Drumquin man has gone from taking charge of underage Brendan Keogh Youth League games and officiating reserve team football in the Fermanagh and Western League to running the line in the Danske Bank Premiership with the occasional trip to Europe thrown in for good measure.

Earlier this month for example the Fermanagh and Western Referees’ Association member was part of a team from Northern Ireland including George Argyropoulos, Ian McNabb and Dungannon’s Lee Tavinder who took charge of an U21Euro Qualifer between France and Leichtenstein in the Meinau Stadium in Strasbourg.

In recent years Andrew has been waving his flag all over the continent and even more since acquiring his FIFA badge earlier this year. He debuted in a Europa League qualifying game in Kazakhstan, followed that up with assignments in Moldova, Georgia and Andorra and has run the line in no fewer than eight UEFA Champions League youth matches including the meeting of Manchester City and Barcelona.

FULL TORY IN THIS WEEK’S ULSTER HERALD