Hugh's the Hibs kid in the black?

ALL young professional football players in Scotland could be required to undergo a referee's training course following the success of a pilot scheme at Easter Road.

Eleven of the 13 kids from Hibs' Under-19 squad have passed a refereeing introductory course, paving the way for them to pursue a career with the whistle should they fail to make the grade as a player.

And now there are hopes Hibs' lead could be extended throughout the country, the enterprise having helped the Edinburgh club scoop the prestigious Best Community Initiative at the recent Clydesdale Bank Premier League Awards ceremony.

It's understood a number of other clubs have already expressed interest in promoting similar schemes with Hugh Dallas, head of referee development at the SFA, revealing such instruction may one day become compulsory under UEFA requirements.

Already clubs throughout Europe are compelled to attend a pre-season meeting with match officials but Hibs have broken new ground by incorporating the 26-hour refereeing course into their youngsters' programme which also includes training as SFA coaches and putting those skills to use in the local community.

Hailing Hibs' move, Dallas said: "This really is an important development for the game and something we have been driving towards for a while now.

"It gives these players an invaluable awareness of the laws of the game which, in turn, will hopefully result in more players having a deeper understanding of the decisions made by referees.

"It will also give them an insight into how the laws are interpreted and applied in this country.

"We were delighted with the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the youngsters at Hibs and, of course, the commitment of the club itself was vital."

While recognising all young players will, naturally, have their eyes firmly set on becoming a star of the future, Dallas believes an early introduction to the skills of refereeing could open up a different career path for those who fall by the wayside while allowing them to continue in the game.

And he revealed it might be possible for youngsters to develop both threads in tandem.

He said: "I think they could have two careers running alongside each other, perhaps playing on a Saturday and referee on a Sunday but not, of course, officiating in the League in which they play.

"There's also a shortage of referees at initiative levels so perhaps the youth players could take their turn, refereeing even just one game a season at Under-11s and Under-12s."

While referees must retire at 47, Dallas believes an early start could see youngsters make it to the top with the whistle, taking charge not only of top domestic matches but big European games and World Cup ties.

He said: "In a relatively short space of time the rewards for refereeing have dramatically increased.

"Craig Thomson is a perfect example of someone who has made a career out of refereeing, operating at the top level can became a full-time job and that may inspire a new breed to do likewise."

The importance of starting early with a whistle for those with ambitions to make it to the top was also highlighted by Dallas who said: "Another of our referees, Eddie Smith, played Junior football for many years and perhaps now regrets that he did play for so long. Because Eddie came into refereeing so late, he didn't make the international list which I am quite sure he would have done.

"You can make a good career out of refereeing, you may have to retire at 47 but that's a bit longer than you'd have as a player.

"The reality of football is that not every youth team player will make the grade but, by taking this course, it opens up another possible avenue to players who may not be able to fulfil their potential as players.

"For example, how many youth players will get the chance to play places like the Bernabeu or the San Siro?

"Some of our referees have managed to officiate in laces like that and are doing so quite frequently.

"It's not luck, like playing, there's a lot of hard work goes into it. You never know what you might achieve, exactly the same as a player. I'm not saying everyone will make it to the very top but youngsters who have played the game, have skills, understanding and tactical awareness can pick it up very quickly."