 Y dyn nhw ysgol y ysgol iddynt y byddai yn gweithio'r busnes yn y cyblwyr ondfer yng ngosêl 3-62 yn dy夕 Dyglos Ross yw Llyfr dechau ynghylch a'r Euro 2016. Y cyblwyr yn ei dyn nhw'r byddau i sgolio ydweud at oeddy o unrhyw ddaeth gael i gael o'r byd, rwy'n gwybod i'n rhaid i fywch gweithio a'r byddai rydym i'n gwybod i'n dyfrwyr eich cyblwyr. I call on Douglas Ross to open the debate. Seven minutes please, Mr Ross. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. After the turbulent events since Thursday and the debate that we held in Parliament earlier today, often members' business is an opportunity to discuss something totally different. My motion is about Scotland and it's about Europe, so apologies about that, but I don't think that we need to repeat some of the arguments that we had earlier on. I also begin by referring members to my register of members' interests as a football referee with the Scottish FA and thank everyone who supported my motion and have stayed behind to discuss it tonight. Every football fan supports a domestic team and that's understandable and there are often arguments about why you support a certain team and who you support, but when it comes to your national team, you're born with it. There is no choice and we as Scots follow the Scottish national team through their highs and their lows, but I struggle sometimes to think that the last time I supported a Scottish national team at a major finals I was still at school. I was watching France 98 while I was in school and I looked forward to the next major tournament, the next World Cup, the next European Championship, so I could continue my support for our national team, but that never came. We can lament about the fact that the national team hasn't qualified since 1998 and we can put our faith in those who are involved with the Scottish national team that that weight will not last too much longer. I want to give the Parliament an opportunity to congratulate a Scottish team who did qualify for the Euros. In this rather surreal week it is strange, but I think quite nice as well that I become the first member to lead a debate on refereeing in the Scottish Parliament since it was established in 1999. There's a saying that if a referee goes about unnoticed, they've done a good job, but I also think that when they have done a good job they should also be noticed and recognised, and that's why I'm very proud to put forward this motion, recognising the significant achievements of Willie Collum and his team. Just as teams have to qualify for great tournaments, so do referees, they don't just get selected to go out there, and it's only because of consistent, high-quality performances by Willie, his assistant from Ireland, Damian McGrath and his fellow Scottish officials, Frankie Connor, Bobby Madden and John Beaton, that they were able to fly out to France and be one of only 18 teams to be entrusted to referee the second biggest football tournament in the world. It's a very strong pedigree that Willie has to do that, a referee with over 150 international appointments to his credit. 150? If he was a player, we would be shouting from the rooftops, but because he's a referee, we just ignore it. Because we have a referee in Parliament now, there will be no more ignoring of things like that. The selection process has been a long time incoming. William has had top appointments with his team throughout Europe this year, entrusted with high-profile Champions League, Europa League and Euro qualifiers, and as I say in my motion, at the start of this season, he was entrusted with the Super Cup final between Barcelona and Seville, the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League. William will also be the first to admit that his season is not unblemished. There have been mistakes. He has made mistakes. I've made mistakes. Every referee in Scotland has made mistakes this season, but we only improve because we learn from our mistakes. We shouldn't always just think that it's only the referees who make mistakes. Sometimes I'm not mentioning anything in particular, but the goalkeeper makes mistakes. I'm glad my colleague Aaron Tompkins has maybe left because that could be slightly hard for him to hear after last night's result. Everyone does make mistakes, but it is to William's credit and, indeed, Scottish Refereeings credit that we learn from it, with the support of our national association and John Fleming and the referee department, and at UEFA level with the expert guidance that he and his colleagues have got from Hudalis, from Perlewigia Collina, from Mark Bata and others in the UEFA Referee Committee. So William and his team officiated at two games in the European Championships and there were no ordinary games. He refereed the Czech Republic v Turkey, a very tough match and a crucial match, but his first appointment was even more special. He refereed France v Albania, and anyone who knows anything about football will recognise if you are given the home nation in an international tournament. That is a big feather in your cap, and the fact that William came through it with no-one talking about the refereeing team shows how well he performed in front of the world eyes, and it's a great credit to him. It's a personal achievement for William, for Frankie, for Bobby, for John and for Damien, and I also think that they'd like me to mention that it's a significant investment in their own time and their family's time. We only do what we do in refereeing because of the strong support of our families, so I know the pride that the guys will have taken from their appointment will be shared by their families. So the Parliament should recognise this and welcome the inspiration that their involvement in the Euros could give to new referees coming through. That moves on to my second point of my motion. Whatever you think about referees, you need them. Whatever you think for your own team's perspective or otherwise, there is no game without them. Everyone gets into refereeing for different reasons. I myself got into refereeing because of a distinct lack of ability as a player, and I used to joke that I was so bad that I couldn't even get into a pub team. I've now changed that a bit. I'm so bad that I can't even get into the Parliament team. A Parliament team that Brian Whittle can get into, that Finlay Carson can get into, that the Presiding Officer can get into, Mark Griffin and others, but I was not good enough for it, so I was left to referee, and I was happy to referee the recent match between MSPs and the RAF. But as I say, there are so many different reasons for people to get into refereeing, but I could never have thought when I started over a decade ago that I would go on to referee and officiate some of the top games around the world and around Europe to do a league cup final, a Scottish cup final, an old firm match and to be part of William's team as a standby assistant to go to the Euros had anything happened to his two assistant referees. So there are great opportunities and we must use this as an opportunity to encourage young or old ex-footballers to take up refereeing, and of course women. We have a significant push to get more female referees in Scotland. A lot of work has been done. People like Morag Piri and Lerain Clark have done a great job in highlighting the game to ensure that we get more and more females coming into it. Now this may be the first and only time we ever discuss refereeing in this chamber, but I did think it was right that we recognised the achievement of Willie and his team. And if their performances on an international stage, representing Scotland at a flagship European football event this summer, encourages just one person to take up the whistle, just one person to get involved, then they will have been as successful off the pitch as they have been on it. For all we know, in one of our communities somewhere in Scotland, a future Euro referee final, a world cup final referee may have been watching and because of their performances took inspiration from Willie and his team to get involved. Your local referee associations across Scotland will be delighted to hear from any constituents who have watched this tournament, who have heard about a Scottish official being at a tournament that our Scottish team could not qualify for. They will take inspiration from that. They will look at the opportunities available to them locally, nationally and internationally. They are all there to be taken and I hope that we get more and more people involved in what is a great tradition in Scottish football. I call on Lewis MacDonald. Thank you very much. I start by congratulating Douglas Ross on bringing this debate. I also thank Willie Cullum and his team for ensuring that Scotland did not miss out on Euro 2016. Of course, it would be good to have our own football team there as well, rather than relying on our near neighbours to give us an interest in the outcome of matches, but sadly on this occasion a bad night out in Georgia meant that that was not possible. However, now that the tournament has reached the quarter final stage, I am sure that we will all have teams that we want to wish well and a number I am sure will occur to colleagues around the chamber. I particularly want as an Aberdeen supporter to mention Wales and to wish the best of luck to Wales. I particularly hope that we will see more of Simon Church and Danny Ward once and always when Wales will take on their next challenge and beyond. Of course, it is great that Scottish match officials have been selected to take part, and it is a reflection of the standing of Scottish refereeing that our officials are consistently involved in major tournaments, even if our teams sadly are not. However, not that football fans will ever admit in the heat of the game that our match officials really do achieve such high standards. I have already shared with Douglas Ross my subjective assessment of his last visit to Pertodry, although, of course, the fact that Aberdeen lost heavily to Ross County at the end of the last season in no way coloured my view of the assistant referees' performance, no matter the coincidence of the surname or the fact that he had just been elected as a Highlands and Islands MSP. However, I am glad that our refereeing team did indeed do so well at Euro 2016, and I am sure that they at least will be invited back. Mr Ross rightly highlights the importance of local and grass-roots football, which needs not only pitches and coaches but referees and assistants if it is to continue to happen. In my area, Aberdeen and district referees association is typical of many others in relying on the voluntary efforts of men and women who come forward to be referees and assistants. On the challenge for Sandy Roy at the Aberdeen Association and his colleagues, it is to find those volunteers. They run three training courses every year, and they work very hard in local schools to encourage young people to take up refereeing. However, of course, for young people, the attractions of playing the game are always up there in lights. However, of course, those games can only happen if the referees are there as well. I am delighted that there are some young players who have chosen, skills have been perhaps greater than Mr Ross has admitted to this evening, but who have chosen and made a positive choice to take up refereeing even quite early in their 20s because they see that that is something that will be with them for many years. The other area that Aberdeen and district referees association has highlighted is the recruitment of women. Again, it is good to see in the professional game now women officiating at the highest level. We need to see more of that in order to provide that role model for young women who may, at a local and grassroots level, also choose to become involved in the game. Having seen what referees can do at a local and a national level, I hope that we will get even more input in the future. Without those inputs from volunteers, we would not be able to have the number of games that are held every year. I too have had my moments on the pitch, not as a referee but as a player in the Sunday league, and therefore my experience of disputing matters with referees goes back quite a long way. Like Mr Ross, I was a failure in my efforts to enter the Parliament team. That was some years ago, it must be said, but I know that at this level, as at every other, it is the willingness of people to come forward and volunteer to be officials that allows everyone else to enjoy the opportunities to play the game. I would like to congratulate Douglas Ross for securing time in the chamber this evening to discuss this important topic. However, I would like to commiserate with him and with Lewis MacDonald for their inability, as yet, to secure a place on the Parliament's football team. I wonder what criteria has applied. I would like to see more of an inclusive approach, because I believe in sport for all. As has been highlighted in this debate, referees give an incredible commitment to the sport that they love. They often take on the responsibility, as you will know, of maintaining cam in a volatile situation where passions on the pitch and in the stands can run high, and all the while know that they are likely to end up facing the fury of at least some supporters. As we have heard, while Scotland's men's football team missed out again on the prestigious events that so many people are desperate to attend, it is truly a tremendous achievement for the team of Scottish officials to have been selected to represent the country at Euro 2016. It clearly says much about how European football authorities view the standards of officiating in Scotland, and I, too, would like to pass on my congratulations to the team. In preparing for the debate, I was pleased to learn about the SQA Referee Development Award, which provides an opportunity for secondary school pupils to get involved in refereeing. It has been in operation since 2011. It has had the involvement of 30 schools across Scotland last year and nearly 500 candidates. As well as being an important educational scheme, it too widens access for women and girls and those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. The award, initially subsidised by the Scottish FA, with no cost to schools, is described as being a core part of the Scottish FA referee development department's strategy for encouraging and increasing participation in football refereeing. It is really encouraging to see a serious grass roots approach to developing our young people. We all know that a sport improves our mental and physical health, it can improve our quality of life, and potentially our life expectancy. It can be a tool for NHS prescribing. We are seeing more and more GPs prescribing leisure activities. Sports Scotland tells us that a 1 per cent increase in physical activity rates can save the NHS some £3.5 million a year and reduce admissions for coronary heart disease, stroke and colon cancer. Obviously, a lot of people prefer—some people do not want to get involved in competitive sport, but many of us do. If we want to compete in those situations, it is absolutely essential that we have referees and officials. I think that very often in sport coaches are overlooked, but I would say that officials are even more greatly overlooked. We forget about what a job they do quietly on the sideline, sometimes in absolutely appalling weather. I would probably like to take this opportunity here to make a special mention of someone whom I know, Barry Craighead. I am sure that Brian Whittle will know him. He is one of the best-known, most-liked and most respected figures in Scottish athletics. He is a starter. He began to start races in Newhaven in the city, a track there, and he has gone on to start races at the Olympic Games. He has started local, Scottish, British, European, Commonwealth and Olympic events. He is such a great demonstration of the kind of people who, day in, day out, make it possible for others to compete in the sports that they love. It takes time, commitment and finance. It takes a real sense of duty and discipline. I am pleased that we have had the opportunity this evening to thank all those who make it possible for us to participate and to play within the laws of a game. I appreciate that refereeing is not always for the faint hearted, but I would like to put on record my support for all those who spend their time in such a positive way. I am delighted to support the motion on behalf of my colleague Anne UEFA referee Douglas Ross, especially as he decided not to send me off in the recent parliamentary football match against the RAF for endeavouring to explain the offside rule to him. Apparently, he is fully aware of the complexities of this rule and did not need my input. I was yards onside. My football career was tragically cut short through a severe lack of talent. However, putting that aside for the moment, it gives me the opportunity to highlight the steady stream of world-class football referees and coaches that Scotland has produced consistently for decades. The Sport Scotland Inverclyde Sports Facility in Largs in Ayrshire is a mecca for coach and referee education, attracting people from around Europe, and we are without doubt a world leader in this department. Take the case in point with four Scottish referees attending and excelling at the current European Championships. In a wider context, the motion allows me to recognise the incredible contribution that referees, coaches, administrators, officials and medical staff, both professional and voluntary, give to our communities, allowing millions to participate in the sports that we love. Those people are often taken for granted on a my colleague's case, abused by self-centred, opinionated, has been no-at-alls, forgetting that those people are the enablers and the facilitators for all of our Scottish sport. In my own sport of track and field, there are an army of coaches and officials that turn up week in, week out in all weathers to ensure that our athletes get the opportunity to compete from local league matches to international competitions. That, of course, is replicated across the country in every sport, and I would encourage every parent of young competitors and every participant to recognise that and to thank those people at every opportunity. Those people have made a decision to give of their time to train and qualify in their chosen discipline, often over a number of years at their own expense. It takes a serious level of commitment and discipline to achieve those qualifications and that continuing thirst for knowledge and drive for self-betterment is the reason behind any individual or team's success. Behind every podium finish, there are unsung heroes happy to take their place behind the scenes, allowing the sportsmen and women to take their place in the spotlight. Take, for example, the Olympic track and field trials last weekend. Not since 1972 have so many Scottish athletes made the plane to an Olympics. Twelve Scottish athletes will achieve the pinnacle of their sport by pulling on their country's colours in the biggest and greatest sports event in the world. That is no accident. Sports Scotland, Scottish athletics, personal coaches, clubs and medical sport have been planning meticulously for this for years. With that motion, it has allowed me to demonstrate that the wide variety of opportunities that are available in Scottish sport and the importance of the support network that is required to keep our sports ticking. Not only can we participate in sport but we can coach or referee. We can be administrators and officials and failing that, we can be taxi drivers or as they are sometimes called, parents. Deputy Presiding Officer, we wholeheartedly applaud the contribution of our referees that are currently making at the highest level out in France and wish them ever more success. We also recognise the incredible contribution that they and their colleagues make day after day often unheralded in our communities. I encourage us all not only to recognise that contribution but to make sure that they always know how much we appreciate their dedication. I now call Aileen Campbell to close the debate. Minister, around seven minutes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am pleased to respond to this motion on behalf of the Scottish Government and, like others, congratulate Douglas Ross in securing this debate. It is clear passion to shout loudly for our referees. Douglas also spoke, though, about his refereeing route being through a lack of ability on the pitch. For me, a university, I played for our university football team. This wasn't because of any ability I had, I think, looking back now, Presiding Officer, it was because I was the only one that could drive the team bus. So I'm clearly adding to our collective sense of failure of football across the party divide. Like all football fans, I've been enjoying the 2016 European Championships in France, and it's been a great tournament so far. Lots of skill, excitement and goals, as well as a few surprises. The newly expanded format has been really positive, particularly for smaller nations, and the latter stages are shaping up nicely. However, like all Scotland fans, as Lewis MacDonald says, my enjoyment has also been tempered by the fact that Scotland isn't there. It is nice to see our British neighbours at the big football party, and I've enjoyed immensely their contribution, in which Wales is all the very best as the last home nation left in the tournament. However, we all know that it's not the same without Scotland. I know that our fans, the famous tartan anime, would have been welcomed with open arms by the French, their good nature and impeccable behaviour, always a credit to Scotland. Likewise, I'm sure that Gordon Strachan, Stuart Reagan and everyone at the Scottish FA would have also been determined to make as positive an impact on the field too. It's been too long, approaching 20 years since our last appearance at an international tournament, and like Douglas, I was also at school for our last tournament at the rate that we qualified for, so I very much hope and want my son to experience a tournament with Scotland in it some time soon. On the horizon, however, there are some positives, as Hamden Park will be hosting the European Championship fixtures in 2020, and I'm sure that everyone across the chamber will join me in wishing Scotland every success in reaching that tournament, and indeed the 2018 World Cup in Russia before then. The motion, placed before us by Douglas Ross, recognises that, despite our disappointment at not being at the Euros, Scotland has been excellently represented in France. I know that Doug Ross has first-hand experience of this as the qualified referee that he mentioned, who is officiated in the Premiership International and even at the 2015 Scottish Cup final, just missing out by a year on that glorious spectacle of seeing St Johnston lift the cup for the very first time in his history. However, I have no doubt that the skill that he deploys on match days will occasionally come in handy in this chamber as well. Scottish referees were selected by UEFA as one of the 18 teams of match officials. As Alison Johnson said, that is a great credit to their expertise and their experience, as well as the work of the Scottish FA to support them in developing the next generation of top-class referees. Our top referee, Willie Collum, has been in the middle, along with his fellow Scots, Frankie Conner, Bobby McMadden and John Beaton, an assistant Damian McGrath, from the Republic of Ireland. William refereed the France vs Albania game. As Douglas noted, that was very special indeed to have been awarded the nation's home game. Then, of course, he officiated that the Turkey versus the Czech Republic matches. He and his team have performed excellently. Like Douglas, the highest praise that I can offer is that the discussion afterwards was all about the football and not about any refereeing decisions. It does cap a fine season for Willie Collum, who took charge of the UEFA Super Cup final between Barcelona and Sevilla last year. It is really pleasing to see Scots excelling at international tournament, and I agree with the member that this highlights the opportunities available to current and potential match officials. We have almost 3,400 registered referees in Scotland. Almost 2,500 of them are active, a remarkable number, but I know that the Scottish F way is always looking to identify and develop more to come into the system. It is regrettable that referees do not always receive the best press, but there is no doubt that it is a hugely rewarding role. Willie Collum and his team underline the huge opportunities for Scottish officials to make their mark at the very highest level, as they have done for many years. Refereeing is a phenomenally great opportunity to play a positive role within your sport. Through dedication, hard work and commitment, the pathway is available to everyone to reach the elite level that is aided by positive role models, such as Willie Collum. Other benefits of officiating in the sport include developing leadership, communication and management skills. Refereeing is also a fantastic way to lead a healthy lifestyle through the benefits of regular physical activity, coupled with a balanced diet to assist preparation for athletic performance. Having more referees at all levels allows for more participation in sport for our children and the wider benefit of sport in their physical and mental development. It can be difficult for young referees to overcome the negativity of parents, players and coaches who challenge inexperienced referees who are still developing and honing their skills. Likewise, it is always good to see young talent coming through at all levels. I was impressed by what I saw when I watched fourth wanderers in my constituency, who took forward that game and was part of that game, officiated really well at a game just ahead of fourth wanderers clenching the central league to this season and gaining a well-earned promotion. Referees, as others have noted, are important for our enjoyment of the game. It is important that we educate all parties to be more understanding of each other's roles within sport and to support them in a positive manner to improve performance and enjoyment of sport for all involved. That is not to say that decisions will always go our way. Of course, passions run high when you watch your team, but tolerance, respect and openness must prevail. That is a point that I think is well made by Brian Whittle. The work done by ScottishFA to develop our referees and identify and develop the next generation is welcome. As Alison Johnstone mentioned, the SQA Referee personal development award supported through funding from spec savers and the Government's cashback programme goes from strength to strength. Last year, the Scottish centre of refereeing excellence was launched, providing a pathway for up-and-coming referees to reach their upper echelons of the game. The good work is just one of the reasons that Scotland is punching above its weight. Scotland has two elite referees, Craig Thomson and Willie Collum, the same or more than significantly bigger nations like England, France, Germany and Turkey. It is a stunning achievement for a nation of our size. It is not just the men who can be referees. As Lewis MacDonald spoke in his remarks, women like football too and women's football is growing and we should do all that we can to encourage women and girls to think about the opportunities to pursue refereeing. We already have many female referees and we also have several female elite and international referees, so those women should be held up as role models for girls who enjoy the beautiful game. To conclude, the Scottish Government supports the motion and applauds the dedicated and talented referees at the European Championships from Scotland. We recognise their strong performance today and support the work of the SFA to develop the next generation of referees and again put on record our thanks to Douglas Ross for bringing forward this debate. Thank you Minister and I close this meeting.