Irish Cup - Final | Ballymena V Glentoran

T H E M A T C H O F F I C I A L S

R E F E R E E T I M M A R S H A L L

The man in the middle for today’s game is Tim Marshall, who started refereeing back in 2001 at the age of just 13. He refereed the 2007 Harry Cavan Youth Cup Final between Crusaders and Linfield. The game featured a youthful Jordan Owens, Declan Caddell and Billy Joe Burns. In 2011 he took charge of his first Irish League Premiership game: Portadown v Lisburn Distillery. He was then promoted the following season after refereeing the 2012 Intermediate Cup Final. By 2015 Tim had become a FIFA international referee. To date he has officiated in 27 different countries. Taking charge of the Irish Cup Final fulfils a lifetime ambition for Tim, who was fourth official in the 2014 and 2017 finals.

Assistant Referee : Stephen Bell Stephen, who is from Carrickfergus and works as a transport supervisor, has been refereeing for 17 years. He has been an assistant referee for nine years and he has also spent seven of those years as a FIFA assistant referee. Assistant Referee : Paul Robinson Paul began his refereeing career in 2009 officiating in the Mid Ulster Football League. In 2012 he became an Assistant Referee and has officiated in the Irish League Premiership since 2013. He became a FIFA Assistant Referee in 2016. Paul officiated at six games in the 2017 UEFA Under-17 European Championship finals in Croatia. He also ran the line at the Irish Cup Final between Glenavon and Linfield in 2016. Fourth Official : Shane Andrews Shane has been refereeing for nine years and has climbed the Irish FA refereeing ladder. In 2018 he reached his ultimate goal of inclusion on the senior panel of referees. In 2019 he was awarded UEFA’s Centre of Refereeing Excellence Certificate. Reserve Assistant Referee : Adam Jeffrey Began refereeing in November 2013. Progressed through the ranks to take part in his first Danske Bank Premiership games in the 2016-17 season and was then promoted to a NIFL Premiership AR at the end of that season. Since then he has officiated in the UEFA Youth League, at UEFA U17 and U19 mini tournaments and at this season’s Bet McLean League Cup Final.

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