Still Calling The Shots At 75

At 46 years together with 261 days old, Dutchman Roel Liefden is the oldest business office instrumentalist to accept featured at a FIFA tournament afterwards reaching this remarkable milestone at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup inwards Tahiti, inwards 2013. Not a bad achievement, you lot mightiness think. Englishman John Lewis went a pace farther past times refereeing the concluding of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament 1920 betwixt Kingdom of Belgium together with Czechoslovakia at the historic catamenia of 65 years together with 156 days. While these are undoubtedly impressive figures, Heidi Wegner has outdone them both. The 75 twelvemonth onetime is the oldest referee yet active inwards Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany together with is yet keeping players inwards business today, having overseen several G matches from juniors to veterans during her long career.

"I refereed the district championships at the Peene shipyard dorsum inwards 1968", Wegner recalled a few months agone inwards an interview on fussball.de, the dwelling of High German amateur football. "I was inwards skillful hands there, together with initially spent 2 years officiating without a refereeing badge. I had already overseen to a greater extent than than 100 matches past times the fourth dimension I took my exam." For the sprightly pensioner who keeps fit past times cycling together with hiking, the thought of hanging upwardly her whistle is out of the question. "I accept amend stats than some younger referees," she explained. "I run to a greater extent than or less the pitch to a greater extent than than others do. Some referees only motion to a greater extent than or less inwards the centre circle. We also officiate ninety per cent of our matches alone, together with hence you lot accept to live on fit, larn moving together with overstep along upwardly amongst the play." There is no doubting the veracity of this disputation – Wegner covers several kilometres out on the pitch inwards a unmarried game. The ‘Football Granny from the Peene’, equally she is affectionately known, discovered her passion for football game at a relatively early on age. "I started going downward to the playing fields amongst my virile soul nurture when I was really young," she said. "I also played football game out inwards the street together with played handball at school. My parents most had to drag me off the street every evening." That passion has remained undimmed e'er since. Wegner has been refereeing matches inwards the High German land of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for to a greater extent than than l years together with knows the Laws of the Game within out. Referees must sit down an examine 3 times a year, together with Wegner has never failed it. In 2014, the High German Football Association (DFB) presented the athletic 75-year-old – who shares her nativity twelvemonth amongst footballers such equally Sepp Maier, Jurgen Grabowski together with Gunter Netzer – amongst its badge of merit to admit her voluntary work. Wegner spent to a greater extent than than xxx years equally a youth squad autobus at FC Rot-Weiss Wolgast, organising tournaments together with keeping tabs on the club’s fiscal affairs equally its treasurer. "I create it for the joy of it together with to overstep along fit," she explained. "I become together with aid wherever I’m needed." Heidi Wegner is a remarkable adult woman who undoubtedly set the foundation for the electrical current generation of woman soul referees inwards Germany, including Bibiana Steinhaus, who became the outset adult woman to officiate matches inwards the men’s Bundesliga, together with Riem Hussein, who became the instant adult woman afterwards Steinhaus to referee inwards the professional person men’s game.

Source: FIFA