The number of local football referees had increased to 150, MFA secretary general Bjorn Vassallo said today.

The number had increased considerably after the initiatives taken since season 2011/12. Then the number of referees had been about 90.

He went on to say that despite the considerable increase, it was never enough as there were over 3,000 matches which have to be controlled by officials during a local season, including not just the MFA games, but also organised by the affiliated associations.

The MFA secretary said he was glad to see all the referees in all the categories together for the annual pre-season seminar for match officials and referees observers, especially this year, since there are 95 changes to the Laws of the Game.

Vassallo announced that MFA vice president Alex Manfre will again be the head of the Referees Committee, while a lady, Helga Chircop, will be the secretary.

He also said that he was also pleased to say that it was an honour for the Malta FA to have 17 referees/assistant referees on the FIFA list (football, beach soccer and Futsal).

He said: “We have a solid base, but we cannot be happy. In fact, we have to continue building although we look at the future with optimism.”

He also thanked David Elleray a former FIFA and UEFA instructor, who is also a Member of the Order of the British Empire (2014), for accepting to address the three-day seminar which concludes today. He also thanked Elleray for his continuous support to the association during the last six years or so.

Elleray said it was an important time for football. “The game requires not just high quality refereeing, but consistency. It is not going to be easy considering there are 95 changes to the Laws of the Game, but with the help of the clubs who are expected to explain the changes to their players, I do not think there will be major problems,” he said.

He congratulated the MFA for organising this seminar. And he also went on to shower praise on Kevin Azzopardi, who has just been confirmed as the Director of Refereeing at the MFA, for becoming the first graduate to occupy such a post in football.

Azzopardi explained that the new structure is based on the UEFA Referees Convention, although there was still 5% of it that had to be achieved.

He added that his department had created a Disciplinary Committee, a Fitness unit and had also set up an audit unit, which he said, was the greatest breakthrough since he took over. It will be taking care of all internal procedures.

Azzopardi confirmed that there will be two innovations this season – the use of vanishing spray during Premier League matches and the new Adidas kits for referees sponsored by Eurosport.

He also revealed that Esther Azzopardi has been chosen by FIFA to control matches in the Under 17 World Cup to be held in Jordan between the end of September and the third week of October.

Other appointments already known are for Clayton Pisani, who has been selected to control a World Cup qualifying match in September and Trustan Farrugia Cann who has an Under 21 international appointment.