“WHEN I was told that I was being nominated to the FIFA Panel as a FIFA Referee for the 2012 season, I was elated, excited and overwhelmed with joy.”
Those were the words of Sherwin Trevor Johnson who originates from 33C Number 5 Village, West Coast Berbice, Guyana’s newest entrant to the FIFA International List of Referees for 2012 and the second Berbician to fill that role, following Harold ‘Harry’ Clarke who hailed from New Amsterdam, East Berbice.
Born on March 6, 1979, to Victor Emanuel Johnson and Claudette Wendy Johnson, Sherwin grew up in an environment which was conducive to his quiet demeanour.
Both of his parents are Pastors at the Victory Assembly of God Church, D’Edward, West Coast Berbice and only as recent as last year Sherwin, who has two brothers and one sister, received a Diploma in Christian Theology.
Johnson began his football career playing for Monedderlust Football Club of West Berbice as a defender representing them from Under-11 to the senior division.
He captained the team on numerous occasions winning many trophies in the process and after losing a quarterfinal game in the 2007 Fruta Conquerors/NAMILCO Cup against Western Tigers, he had a change of heart with regard to his involvement in football.
Johnson took up the offer of Ainsworth Ross who has been behind him to become a referee, following the undisciplined behaviour of his club after they lost that game and, coupled with the fact that there were few qualified referees in Berbice, he felt he could have made a difference with implementing some amount of discipline on the field.
And so it was in March 2008, when FIFA Trained Referee Instructor Lawrence ‘Sparrow’ Griffith conducted a Beginners Referee Course at the Blairmont Community Center, Johnson, along with six other persons, attended and was successful attaining a pass mark of 92%.
Johnson commenced his climb to the top, training daily, something which he enjoyed doing since he was a youngster playing the game and is today considered one of the fittest referees in Guyana always running the maximum amount of laps at the Fitness Tests conducted by the Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC), three or four times annually.
He attended the Number 5 Primary School, Berbice High School, New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA).
Married to Golda Alexis Major for approximately seven years, this budding pastor excelled academically obtaining five passes at the CXC in Mathematics, English, Accounts Technical Drawing and Agriculture Science.
He also received a Certificate in Radio and Electronics – Service and Repairs while attending NATI and a Diploma in Agriculture while attending GSA and during his refereeing career, he was tutored by Watts and Ingram Johnson who both reside in West Berbice, Roy McArthur and Griffith.
His first exposure as a referee on the International scene took place last year in Suriname, where he officiated in the Inter-Guianas Club Championship involving Alpha United, two Suriname clubs and a club from French Guiana, where he refereed two games and was Assistant Referee in another.
He was selected to referee the GT&T Fast Ball Final last year, involving Pele and Western Tigers. He was the fourth official in the 2010/11 Kashif and Shanghai final and carried the whistle for the all-important semifinal of the just concluded 22nd version of the tournament between eventual winners Caledonia AIA and CBR Mining Milerock. He also officiated in his first Berbice final last November.
On September 29, 2004, he became an employee of the Blairmont Estate of GUYSUCO working his way up the ladder and at present, he is the Acting Supervisor in the Field Laboratory but his substantive position is Field Foreman and he thoroughly enjoys his job.
Johnson’s ambition is to become the first male Guyanese referee to officiate in a senior World Cup and while he is aiming for the 2018 tournament to fulfil his dreams, his deportment, physical attributes and knowledge of the Laws of the Game could enable his wishes to become a reality.
He would like to thank the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for accepting the recommendation of the GFRC to nominate him to the 2012 list.  And also would like to thank his employers (GUYSUCO) for giving him the necessary time off so he could have made himself available to fulfil his many appointments and seminars, his wife for her understanding and encouragement, his parents and siblings who all encouraged him to work towards his goals.
Thanks must also go out to Lawrence Griffith his first tutor who conducted the Beginners Course in such a professional manner that he grasped it willingly on that first attempt, McArthur, Watts, Ingram Johnson, Cleon Lindy, Floyd Lewis and all those other referees and friends who were always there to give him words of encouragement.