Irish ref' to oversee Milan-Valencia clash

Eircom League of Ireland referee Alan Kelly will this weekend take charge of the Emirates Cup meeting between Inter Milan and Valencia at the Emirates Stadium in London.

The FIFA referee will have the task of keeping some of the biggest names in world football in check when the Italian and Spanish giants meet in the home of Arsenal F.C.

This is the latest recognition for Irish referees as their reputation continues to grow in Europe.

As well as regular assignments to Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League matches, Irish referees are increasingly being called upon for senior international matches.

Last month a team of Irish officials, headed by referee Ian Stokes and also including Martin Moloney, Ciaran Delaney and David McKeon, took charge of the Euro 2008 qualifier between Andorra and Israel.

Alan Kelly also has international experience, having taken charge of the friendly encounter between France and Denmark prior to the 2006 World Cup, as well Under-21 international matches.

Cork native Kelly was approached by the organisers of the Emirates Cup – a four-team tournament involving Arsenal, Inter Milan, Valencia and Paris Saint Germain – and asked to referee a match.

“It was only three weeks ago that I found out which game I would be doing”, he says. “I was absolutely delighted to get Inter Milan against Valencia. They are two of the biggest clubs in the world.

“It will also be a great experience to referee in the Emirates Stadium. It is a test of a referee’s mental strength to referee in large venues. While this game is a friendly, I expect it to be very competitive. As a referee, you have to treat every match like a World Cup final and this will be no different.”

Kelly’s appointment signals the growing co-operation between referees throughout Ireland and United Kingdom. There are regular exchange programmes between the referees of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, while Irish referees, including Kelly, have attended the Premier League Referee Programme in England.

“It is very valuable to meet and train with referees from other leagues because we can all learn from each other”, says Kelly. “I have been involved in the UEFA Mentor Talent Programme for the last two years and as part of that we regularly travel to England to train with Premier League referees.”

Inter Milan’s meeting with Valencia will be broadcast live on Sky Sports at 2pm on Saturday, July 28th.