Football Queensland (FQ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jacqui Hurford as State Referee Manager.

The appointment follows the release of the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan for football in Queensland and is one of a series of referee initiatives to be rolled out in the coming months focusing on improving recruitment, retention and support of referees in the state.

FQ’s General Manager Operations, Murray Bird said the growth of the game is underpinned by the quality and number of referees and coaches across the state, and Hurford’s role will be pivotal in the continued development of refereeing in Queensland.

“I am delighted to welcome Jacqui to the Football Queensland team; she will bring a wealth of knowledge as a former international FIFA referee, and from her current roles as instructor/assessor for FFA and AFC and Westfield W-League Referee Coach,” he said.

“Jacqui’s appointment aligns with a focus on bettering the experience for all involved in the game as outlined in FQ’s strategic plan, and will see her take on a community-focused leadership role.

“We intend to double the number of registered referees by 2022, which will require ongoing consultation and collaboration with regional referee coordinators to ensure we recruit and retain officials to serve and enhance the game.

“We also want to increase the number of women and girls officiating across the state, and Jacqui is a great example for women and girls getting into the game.”

Hurford said she was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the role would bring.

“Football Queensland’s commitment to significant reform in the referee space was something that attracted me to this role,” Hurford said.

“There is a shortage of match officials across the state and I understand that addressing this and driving participation and retention of referees will be a key focus of the position.

“FQ will be employing referee coaches for the NPL/FQPL/NPLW in the coming weeks. My role will entail working closely with those appointments to improve officiating standards in the state’s premier leagues.

“I will also be working hard on bridging the gap between the referee community and FQ’s member clubs and zones.

“We all need to work together and referees are an important piece in unifying the game to ensure that Queensland remains a leader in officiating both nationally and internationally.”

Ms Hurford will officially take up her position Thursday, 9 January 2020.

READ: FQ announces teal shirt initiative for first year referees
READ: Referee initiatives to be implemented following release of strategic plan