The world of competitive sport relies heavily on the figures who enforce its rules. This week, www.islandstats.com begins a new series of SpotLight, profiling the dedicated players and officials who drive local and international competition. We continue with FIFA Assistant Referee Stefan Maybury.
While the spotlight often falls on the players, officials like Maybury are crucial components of the game's integrity and quality. As an Assistant Referee sanctioned by FIFA, Maybury operates at the highest level, making split-second decisions that directly impact match outcomes, both on the island and in high-stakes international fixtures.
How do you maintain fairness and ensure that you remain impartial, especially in intense and heated moments?
I think the pursuit of perfection ensures fairness more than anything. Whenever I officiate any game at any level, my main goal for that game is to get every decision correct. Referees don't get the satisfaction of winning a game like teams do, the victory for us is getting all our decisions correct, regardless of who those decisions favor. Me not wanting to get any decisions wrong is what ensures fairness. Inevitably, given the share amount of decisions you make in a game and throughout a career, you're bound to get some wrong, but the pursuit of perfection ensures fairness for me.
How do you handle players or coaches who are constantly challenging your decisions during a match?
I'm not really bothered all that much by players and coaches challenging my decisions, you have to accept that no matter how correct a decision may be, half the people in attendance will disagree. Every single decision favors one team and goes against the other, so the vast majority of your decisions are going to be challenged by whichever team that decision went against. That's the nature of job. You have to trust the work that you put into your craft, the physical training, studying the law book and leaning on your experiences to have confidence in your decisions.
What do you think is the single most important quality a referee must possess, and why?
It's difficult to choose between confidence and integrity. Confidence is important because as I've mentioned, most of the decisions you make will be met with some form of hostility. You have to have confidence in yourself to continue to do the job and continue to make what you believe to be the best decisions despite the constant hostility. Integrity is equally important, because you are trusted with ensuring the game is played fairly by all involved. You have to be personally invested in having every decision be the correct decision for the game.
If you could change one thing about the way local football is played or viewed, what would it be?
I'm not sure what I would change about the way local football is played, but I would really like to see local teams taking part in Caribbean club competitions regularly. Whenever I go to club tournaments with teams from all over the Caribbean, I wish Bermuda had a club team representing them.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a young person considering becoming a football referee?
Early in your career, break the game up into quarters in your mind. You're going to make mistakes, if you believe you've made an error don't let it ruin the other 3 quarters, the game still needs you, so you have to stay focused. Also, enjoy the games, while it's a serious job, have fun with it.
Outside of the pitch, what is a surprising fact or hobby that your colleagues and the football community might not know about you?
I wish I had an exciting answer for this, but apart from refereeing I'm pretty much just a family man. I race comets (sailboats) in the football off season.
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