Paul Smith

<BODY BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" LINK="#FFCC99" ALINK="#009D74" VLINK="#FF9966"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#CC3300" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website</B></FONT>     |   <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id928.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michel Platini"><U>Michel Platini</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id984.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paul Smalley"><U>Paul Smalley</U></A>   |   <B>Paul Smith</B>   |   <A HREF="id831.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michel ZenRuffinen"><U>Michel Zen-Ruffinen</U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="04658020.gif" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Paul Smith</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="10" WIDTH="630" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 3114 WIDTH="296"><div> <B>Far Cry From Lynndale Days For World Cup Official</B></div> <div> <B>by Jeremy Ruane</B></div> <bR> <div> When New Zealand referee’s assistant Paul Smith receives his first match appointment at the forthcoming World Cup Finals, whatever game it may be, it will be the pinnacle of a career in football which has its roots at Ken Maunder Park.</div> <bR> <div> The home ground of Lynn-Avon United is where 44-year-old Smith cut his footballing teeth, firstly as a player, then as secretary of Lynndale, as the club was known for many years before amalgamating with Avondale United in 1996.</div> <bR> <div> It was also where he took his first steps on a road which has seen him involved, in an official capacity, in some of the most important fixtures on the international footballing calendar in recent seasons.</div> <bR> <div> Being appointed senior referee’s assistant for the 1999 Confederations Cup semi-final between Brazil and the Czech Republic in Saudi Arabia was the highlight of his career to that point, but later that year, he was on the line for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Final, between Brazil and Australia at North Harbour Stadium.</div> <bR> <div> At some stage in June, however, at a World Cup Finals venue in Japan, Smith will achieve a goal which, when he set out on his career as a match official, he scarcely could have dreamed possible.</div> <bR> <div> "If I don’t get any other games in the entire tournament, that one match, which I’m very much looking forward to, will always be the ultimate highlight of my career. You just don’t get anything bigger than the World Cup Finals".</div> <bR> <div> Smith has no idea at this stage in which Japanese city he will be based, nor to which match he will be appointed - past events have seen FIFA revise their match official appointments schedule to the extent that they are not made known to the general public until forty-eight hours before kick-off.</div> <bR> <div> So how does he fancy the idea of trying to keep up with Michael Owen and Emile Heskey as England take on Sweden at Saitama on June 2?</div> <bR> <div> "While that would be nice, I’ve no preference as to which fixture I’m appointed to. But seeing the fitness work I’ve put in to get to this stage pay dividends is another thing I’m looking forward to at this tournament".</div> <bR> <div> There’s certainly been plenty of that. Prior to a recent visit to Korea, where all the officials selected to participate at Korea Japan 2002 gathered for a full-on pre-tournament performance assessment, Smith was carrying out his compulsory twice-a-week personal fitness training which is de rigeur for all officials in the Southern Trust National League.</div> <bR> <div> "Since returning from Korea, I’ve had to train more, particularly in terms of physical work. We each received a specialised individual training programme following our course in Korea, comprising both indoor and outdoor work. Incidentally, a lot of it is very similar to what we are doing at National League level.</div> <bR> <div> "While there were no changes to my diet, I’m now working out four days a week for ninety minutes a day, as well as satisfying my match appointments each weekend, whether that be one game or two. One day is set aside for rest".</div> <bR> <div> To monitor his fitness, Smith has been wearing a heart-rate monitor and a heart-rate watch while training, then downloading the results to his computer for regular transmission to a FIFA Fitness Director in Belgium, Professor Dr. W. Helsen.</div> <bR> <div> "Upon our arrival in Korea, all the officials will have another round of fitness assessments commencing on May 24, before we head to the numerous venues from May 27".</div> <bR> <div> There haven’t been many other changes to Paul’s life since his appointment, which he found out about in unusual circumstances. "I was wallpapering at home at the time when the phone rang. It was New Zealand Soccer ... I didn’t believe them at first! I then went through the whole gambit of emotions - honoured, of course, then surprised, stunned and downright amazed!!</div> <bR> <div> "Since the news was announced, there has been an impact in terms of increased media attention, a lot of congratulations, and an increase in the general public awareness of who I am - it’s quite funny when I’m sitting watching a game, and people nearby are looking in my direction, pointing and whispering things like, ‘That’s the guy who’s going to the World Cup Finals!!’</div> <bR> <div> "Another thing I’ve noticed is that it’s brought about a new-found respect for any decisions I make in matches. Where previously the attitude was something like ‘He’s only an assistant referee - what would he know?’, now when I do my best to make a correct decision, players and spectators alike understand that I know the rules, so tend to accept it".</div> <bR> <div> Studying videos and CDs has become a part of Smith’s life post-Korea, too. "We were given plenty of material to study between the pre-tournament course and the finals themselves, primarily to re-enforce the key elements of the game which officials will be focusing on at Korea Japan 2002.</div> <bR> <div> "Simulation and cheating are the big buzzwords for this World Cup. The participants have been advised of this, while officials have been given specific instructions on punishing it. These will be implemented from the commencement of these finals, with a worldwide law change to take place at the start of the next league season in each country.</div> <bR> <div> "So fans can expect to see offences such as tackling from behind, diving, and blatant holding and shirt-pulling all being punished by a combination of free-kicks and cards, the idea being to eliminate these offences, and make the event an entertainment extravaganza for the watching world to embrace and enjoy".</div> <bR> <div> With a tournament such as the World Cup, from an official’s point of view, it’s every man for himself, by and large, but as Smith explains, there is plenty of camaraderie along the way.</div> <bR> <div> "You’re there for yourself, that’s for sure, but it’s like being in a big family, really. When we did our training in Korea, for instance, everyone who wasn’t doing the running, etc., was cheering on those who were.</div> <bR> <div> "At the Confederations Cup in 1999, with it being my first major tournament, I was pretty much an unknown quantity, and no-one knew </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="296"><div> <IMG SRC="ad222970.jpg" border=0 width="290" height="407" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> what to expect of me. But after my first game at the tournament, I was accepted, and that was me on my way.</div> <bR> <div> "This time round, there will be officials at Korea-Japan who are in the same position as I was in three years ago. That’s where our effectively being one big family, with everyone encouraging everyone else, will play a big part in helping these newcomers along".</div> <bR> <div> Aiding this situation will be the "buddy" concept which FIFA employs when appointing officials. Paul, for instance, will team up with Australian referee Mark Shield in Japan, while the two English officials appointed to the tournament, Graham Poll and Philip Sharp, will also be on duty together in the Land of the Rising Sun.</div> <bR> <div> "The idea behind this is to minimise communication difficulties", explains the flagman, who is looking forward to getting to spend more time with his colleagues from around the world during Korea-Japan 2002. </div> <bR> <div> "For instance, I could be teamed up with a Spanish referee who doesn’t speak English. During a match, an incident could take place about which we need to converse. As I don’t speak Spanish, we would have a problem straight away. Hence the preference for small teams who have something in common".</div> <bR> <div> Some of the officials who will take part in this tournament have had their share of difficulties along the way. It is compulsory for each official to have an email address, for instance, as the bulk of their correspondence has been transmitted via this means.</div> <bR> <div> While that didn’t present a problem for Smith and the bulk of his colleagues, it proved a challenge for the likes of the African officials, and the Vanuatu appointment, Elise Doriri. "Because he doesn’t have a computer, he’s had to gain access to his information via Harry Attison, the Vanuatu referee", laughs the Queens Park Rangers fan.</div> <bR> <div> "Another case in point is the time it will take for some of the officials to get to Korea for our May 24 gathering. As it will be 6am in Korea when I’m arriving, I’ll be able to sleep on the plane and wake up ready and raring to go. </div> <bR> <div> "But some of the South American chaps face travel itineraries of up to thirty-six hours in length. That will allow them barely a day to recover before we get stuck into our final assessments.</div> <bR> <div> "At the end of the day, you don’t want any of your FIFA colleagues to fail the fitness procedures, ’cause that would reflect on the entire selection process. That would serve nobody any good whatsoever".</div> <bR> <div> While the finals will forever be the high-point in Smith’s career, many of his colleagues in New Zealand watching the tournament from afar will be keen to learn about his experiences upon his return, and how they can perhaps follow in his footsteps at Germany 2006 and beyond.</div> <bR> <div> "I’ll be compiling a report for New Zealand Soccer on the World Cup Finals, a copy of which will be given to Ken Wallace, our Referee Development Officer, along with any training material I may receive in Korea. This will be distributed around the country as necessary.</div> <bR> <div> "As well, I’ve already been scheduled to talk about my experiences at our local Referees’ meeting in July, including the techniques of being a referee’s assistant. And as part of my coaching duties, which see me attending games in this capacity nearly every week nowadays, I’ll be passing on some of these tips to the up-and-coming assistants as a matter of course.</div> <bR> <div> "People may wonder why we need referee training. As players need to work on their technique in training, so, too, must officials. How it is done is largely by replicating match situations, and monitoring our reactions to same. Establishing the correct reactions in training means a greater likelihood of getting things right under the pressure of a match situation". </div> <bR> <div> Smith doesn’t anticipate there being too much that is different, in terms of actions, from what he does now. "The presentation of things may be a little different, however. For instance, checking the nets before each half. If one official finishes before his colleague, he waits by the post until the other net-check is concluded, then both assistants head to their respective positions in unison.</div> <bR> <div> "The handling of the flag is another function. Left hand for a defensive decision, right hand for one favouring the attacking team. All in all, subtle things which not many would notice or appreciate, but at the same time, minor functions which nonetheless contribute to the whole".</div> <bR> <div> Talking of the whole, which country does Smith fancy to take home the most prized trophy in world sport? "To be honest, it’s not really a question I can answer, given our need to be neutral. What I would hope, however, is that the best team at the competition goes on to win the final".</div> <bR> <div> With New Zealand’s Paul Smith looking on as one of the referee’s assistants appointed to officiate at Yokohama Stadium on June 30 ... now that really would be beyond his wildest dreams, not to mention a far cry from his Lynndale days.</div> <bR> <div> NB    This interview was held immediately prior to Paul’s departure for the biggest sporting event in the world. He subsequently received two match appointments - Russia v. Tunisia on June 5 in Kobe, and Tunisia v. Belgium on June 10 in Oita - in Round One, and his final appearance at Korea Japan 2002 was as assistant to the world's best referee, Italian Pierluigi Collina, in the second round encounter between Japan and Turkey, on June 18 in Miyagi.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id826.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Great The Good"><U>The Great & The Good</U></A></div> </BODY>