By Elroy Stephney

 AFTER seven years of a clinically rewarding career, the affable and dapper Sherwin Moore has now muted the sound of his trademark whistle.

In an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport recently, an emotional Moore conceded that he felt it was the right time to chart a different course despite enjoying every step of the way.

“My passion for the game is still burning deep, just as the first day I fell in love with it. I believe though that the time has come for me to step off the field and see what the future holds.”

“When I became a FIFA Referee I had some set goals, among them being ranked among CONCACAF’s best. I am happy to say that I have achieved most of those goals based on what time has afforded me,” concluded Moore on calling it a day.

Though it was a tough call, Moore acknowledged that a number of factors, including the daily evolving of the game and the rigorous physical requirements were key determinants to walk away. Ironically too, his attraction towards refereeing was awkward, and with a smile he reminisced that “it was by mere coincidence that I was told to attend a course that couldn’t gather enough participants back in 2006”.

With precision and a great deal of commitment though, he became studiously engrossed in every aspect of the gruelling task, including his introduction to official duty by Mark Young. He didn’t regret the baptism and made quite an indelible mark in Guyana, the Caribbean and further afield..

His greatest joy came from meeting, interacting and creating lasting friendships, memories of which he is to cherish both locally and internationally. A round-table discussion with Pierluigi Collina, widely regarded as one of the all-time refereeing greats, was a defining moment for Moore.

Such inspiration and intellectual grasp would then propel Moore to seamlessly and successfully officiate in Russia, the Caribbean, Latin America as well as North and South America.

His exemplary skill, application of the laws, decisive rule and fitness were the hall-marks of his career. The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in recognition of his outstanding ability had nominated him to FIFA for seven consecutive years so that he was always up for selection.

He was also favourably and fittingly recognised by CONCACAF and CFU to officiate in high-profile matches. Among them were the Pan American Games in Canada 2015, Olympic Qualifiers (Under-23) in Brazil 2016, CONCACAF Champions League matches from 2013 to 2018, World Cup Qualifying matches in Russia 2018 and CFU Caribbean Cup Groups and Finals, among others.

At the time of his retirement, he was ranked as a Tier 3 Referee and among the top 30 in the Region. His exemplary performance on the field accorded him the honour of being the recipient of the Male Referee-of-the-Year Award by the Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC) in 2016.

He also had the distinct privilege of attending a number of CONCACAF courses that enabled him to remain on top of his game. Conversely, he accepted that being a ‘part-timer’ as a referee due to his Engineering career meant that focussing consistently on the game was a challenge especially since he had to compete for tournaments against full-time professional referees, particularly from the USA and Mexico.

“The year 2019 definitely did not go down according to script and so this can be seen as a low point for me,” he conceded. “Notwithstanding, I am certainly open to sharing the knowledge I have acquired over the years as it relates to training regimen, law interpretation, analysis of match incidents and explanation and interpretation of law changes”.

“Refereeing is a technical skill that needs careful nurturing and teaching which was badly lacking locally and to a degree still is,” he reflected. Moore formerly hailed from Devonshire Castle on the Essequibo Coast. He is married to Coretta Moore and has two adorable children; his family he attributes as being his greatest supporters.

He has since expressed gratitude and thanks to GFF, CONCACAF, CFU, GFRC and the wider football fraternity for their continuous and affectionate support during what he described as a rewarding and enjoyable career.

Not yet finished, Moore encourages young, football-passionate persons to join refereeing and embark on a journey that will be pleasantly unforgettable, as it has been for the elegantly consummate professional.