A special ceremony was held at the Sheraton Hotel Perth on Friday, October 31 to pay tribute to officials who have excelled in their field of sport, recognising excellence in performance and dedication to their respective codes.

Their role is one of the most onerous in sport, but when the going gets tough, the whistle keeps blowing, so it was with great pride that the Department of Sport and Recreation honoured Western Australia’s top referees, umpires, scorers and timers at the 2008 Official of the Year Awards.

Mr Matthews’ achievements include officiating at the World Cup Sydney and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, being a referee at the Australian Championships 2007 in Brisbane and 2008 Nationals in Melbourne, a referee/official at the 2007-08 Swimming WA Championships and mentor, presenter and assessor in Swimming WA Technical Education.

DSR officiating and coaching consultant Jacqui Jashari said officiating was one of sport’s most crucial areas, however those in the role were not always acknowledged and recognised for their achievements.

“We don’t often stop to place a value on those who control the game, yet without their contribution, fairness in sport would simply not exist,” Ms Jashari said.

“Many of those who were awarded the top prize on the night have not only acted in their official capacity, but have also made significant contributions to the development of their sport and individual athletes.

“Their work also results in benefits at a local level with recent research showing that sport helps to create stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.”

Thirty-two officials were acknowledged in the Official of the Year category in sports ranging from archery and lacrosse to motor sport, netball and wheelchair sports.

Each sport had the opportunity to nominate their Official of the Year, and their peers from all sports acknowledged each nominee.

Sports also had the opportunity to nominate up to five people for Commendation Certificates in categories such as Rookie of the Year, Youth Official of the Year and Service Award, which resulted in an additional 113 commendation certificates being awarded.

The Official of the Year Awards were established in 1999 to recognise and reward officials for their outstanding contribution to sport in WA.