ABSTRACT

This chapter initially considers the growth of media attention afforded to the game of Association Football and the referee. The chapter charts this growth, utilising a case study of a referee who officiated in the 1920s and 1930s. The chapter then considers the development of other media and the impact of the influence of television in particular on the game of Association football and the referee. The increased attention given to the referee, the role of the referee in the media and referees’ and media perception of the current culture related to the reporting of referees’ performance in England, Spain and Italy are also analysed.