Darren Cann's Profile
Age 39
Home Poringland, Norwich
Family Married to Jacqui, Children Charlotte (11) and Adam (8)
Football Background Former Youth Team player at Norwich City and apprentice at Crystal Palace
Refereeing Background Began in 1991 and worked his way up through local leagues to the Football League line in 2001. Was promoted to the Premier League in 2005 before being elevated to FIFA’s Assistant Referees list in 2007
Refereeing Honours
2006 FA Cup Final (Liverpool v West Ham)
2007 Carling Cup Final (Chelsea v Arsenal)
2007 FA Community Shield (Chelsea v Man Utd)
2007 Championship Play-Off Final
2007 UEFA Cup Semi-Final (Seville)
2007 FIFA under-20 World Cup Finals (Canada)
2008 Euro 2008 Finals (Austria & Switzerland)
Entry 1, 3 June 2008
Darren on his appointment to this summers Euro 2008 tournament …
My phone rang at 3:19pm on 19 December 2007. It was Neale Barry, Head of Refereeing at The Football Association. He proceeded to give me the very welcome news that I would be representing England at Euro 2008. I, along with fellow Assistant Referee Mike Mullarkey, would be working alongside referee Howard Webb as one of just 12 refereeing trios at the tournament. Naturally I was delighted to have been selected. It is always a great honour to represent your country and it is also a great reward for my family and friends who have been wonderfully supportive over the years.
Howard, Mike & I have been working together as a team for most of the season on both Premier League and Champions League matches and we have built up a fantastic team spirit. We pride ourselves on our teamwork, so much so that we have almost built up a sixth sense. This is the biggest benefit to working in a settled team as we know exactly how best to assist Howard during an important match. Thankfully the three of us are also very close friends and get on extremely well which is important when you are effectively living and working together in a foreign country during a tournament.
Darren on the English teams preparation for the summer …
It was six months ago Howard Webb, Mike Mullarkey and I found out that we had been selected to represent England at this summers Euro 2008 tournament, so we have been preparing for quite some time.
There are many different forms of preparation to consider, not only physical but mental preparation and homework on each of the 16 teams that have qualified for the Finals. For example, we produce a dossier on each team, detailing each individual player, the team’s formations and tactics. This is something we do for every Premier League and Champions League match too. It is important to be thoroughly prepared and professional for every single match because, as the saying goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
In addition to our individual preparation, a number of weeks ago the three of us attended a preparatory course in Zurich, which is to be the base for the refereeing teams during the tournament. Our first task was to pass a stringent fitness test consisting of 6 x 40m sprints, to be completed in less than 6 seconds, with a 90 second rest in between, followed by a series of 20 x 150m high intensity runs to be completed in 30 seconds, with a 40 second rest in between. This also happens to be the test that we have to take domestically before every Premier League season. Failure in either part of the test would have resulted in instant elimination from the tournament, but thankfully all three of us passed comfortably.
Entry 2, 6 June 2008
Darren on the instructions given to the Euro 2008 officials ahead of the tournament …
The UEFA Referees Committee has instructed the 12 refereeing teams to act firmly during this summer’s tournament, with a red card to be shown for challenges deemed to be with excessive force and which endanger the opponent’s safety. We need to be strong with pushing or holding in the penalty area, particularly from corners and free kicks, while dissent will also be firmly dealt with. We want to encourage positive play and part of a referee’s responsibility is to protect both the players and the image of the game.
Following our preparatory course in Zurich in April, the atmosphere between the 44 officials (12 referee trios & eight fourth officials) is fantastic. Many of us know each other from previous tournaments and courses so it is great to meet up with old friends from all over Europe again.
The camaraderie really is something special. In fact the whole set up for the refereeing team is very similar to any of the 16 National Teams taking part. For example, we have an excellent team to support us comprising of dedicated physiotherapists, fitness coaches, sports scientists and massage therapists. This is all in addition to the UEFA Referees Committee itself, which includes former Elite Referees such as Pierluigi Collina and our own David Elleray. Therefore it’s safe to say we are very much considered to be ‘The 17th Team’ at Euro 2008!
Entry 3, 9 June 2008
Darren on his arrival in Zurich ...
Our Euro 2008 adventure began in earnest last week when we flew out to Zurich, our base for the tournament.
The first thing I noticed was how tight the security is at our hotel. We feel very safe, with security men patrolling inside and outside of the hotel 24 hours a day. There are even two additional guards on each floor of the hotel to look after our welfare. With so much security, I keep expecting somebody important like the US President to turn up!
We also have a film crew following our every move, capturing our emotions as we train and prepare for our first game. They’re making a 'fly on the wall' documentary about life as a referee at a major tournament, which I’m sure will make for interesting viewing!
All 36 Match Officials have successfully come through the final fitness assessment and are now eagerly awaiting the beginning of the tournament, fully prepared and raring to go.
Last Thursday was very exciting for all of us, as the 12 refereeing trios made their way to the main auditorium to find out the allocation of the first round of fixtures. There was a great sense of anticipation in the room as we nervously awaited the announcements.
We learned that our opening match will be Austria v Poland in Vienna on Thursday, whilst I have also been appointed as the 5th official for France v Romania in Zurich this evening.
To take charge of the co-hosts at the Ernst Happel stadium, which is the tournaments biggest venue, will be fantastic. Given that the tie is also something of a ‘derby’ in a European sense, I’m sure there will be a little extra spice added to the occasion.
On a personal level I’ve always wanted to visit Vienna and so couldn’t have wished for a better location for our opening game. We’re very much ready for the busy few days that lie ahead but can’t wait to get started now!
Entry 4, 16 June 2008
Darren on the English team’s opening game between Austria and Poland ...
On Wednesday Howard, Mike and I flew from our Zurich base to Vienna to take charge of our first match at Euro 2008, which saw hosts Austria matched against Poland.
We arrived in time for dinner and in keeping with my usual tradition, I picked from the menu something I had never tried before, 'Wiernerschnitzel'. You can’t come to Vienna without sampling this specialty dish, it is delicious!
After dinner we returned to the hotel for an early night in order to prepare professionally for the match the following day. After a good night's sleep (I am lucky that I always sleep well the night before a big match) and a hearty breakfast we were treated to a sightseeing tour of Vienna. In my view, it is truly one of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe. After lunch, which is always pasta on a match day, it was back to business as usual with an afternoon nap preceding a police escort to the ground.
We arrived a full two hours before kick off, which was perfect, before continuing our match preparation with a walk out onto the Ernst Happel surface. The venue is the national stadium of Austria, boasting a fantastic 52,000 seats. Knowing the stadium would be full in less than an hour really got the adrenalin rushing. Just like the players, we very much wanted the match to begin. The last few minutes before the first whistle is sounded are not only very tense for players and fans, but for referees alike.
After the sanctuary of the dressing room we made our way out into the tunnel before walking out onto the pitch. As we lined up for the national anthems I spotted my parents in the crowd, who had flown out for the game along with Howard's Mum and Dad. This was a very proud moment for me.
The game itself started well for us. There were no major incidents for me personally until the 16th minute, when I had a very tricky offside judgment to make just past the halfway line. The forward looked a number of yards offside but something told me to keep the flag down, and thankfully the decision proved to be correct on TV replays. This was probably the hardest offside decision I have ever had to make, so it was pleasing to receive so many texts at half time supporting my decision.
The game continued to go very well for us with one exception, an offside goal at the other end to me. In the closing stages Howard was courageous and correct to award a crucial stoppage time penalty, which meant the match finished 1-1.
Darren on the penalty decision and subsequent coverage in the media and in Poland …
I could clearly see the shirt pull by the Polish defender, despite being 50 metres away. The 12 referees and the 16 competing teams were all shown video clips of these types of incidents prior to the tournament and were told that referees would take action against holding in the penalty area, particularly at corners and free kicks. The decision was 100% correct.
Looking back on the evening’s events, we are very happy with our debut in the tournament. This has since been reflected by the fact that, in spite of Mike's offside error, we have been told we have been selected for a second match, Greece v Spain in Salzburg on Wednesday evening. The match will see one of the tournament favourites take on the current holders, and so again promises to be a well contested affair.
We are very focused and ready to show again that we are a strong team. The unsavory events of the past week are well behind us and we are confident of contributing positively to an excellent game of football. In our eyes, football is still 'the beautiful game'.
Entry 5, 23 June 2008
Darren on the final Group D fixture between Greece and Spain …
We flew to Salzburg in good spirits, looking forward to taking charge of Greece v Spain. What had happened in the aftermath of the Austria v Poland match had been put firmly behind us and our total focus was now on our second game.
Like Vienna, where our first match had been held, Salzburg is another beautiful place. We were treated to a tour of the city, which included dropping in on the various sites where 'The Sound of Music' was filmed as well as visiting Mozart’s birthplace. In addition, we were fortunate to take in some breathtaking views overlooking the city on the morning of the match.
Following our pre game ‘siesta’, we travelled to the match in confident mood, determined to do well for both ourselves and everyone back home. On arriving at the stadium we were told we would not be allowed to enter the referees’ dressing room until the police had thoroughly checked the area. This was deemed necessary following the death threats made against Howard after the Austria v Poland game the previous week. We waited for several minutes before sniffer dogs were then brought in by the authorities.
It goes without saying that this was not the ideal preparation for one of the biggest games of our career. However, as has been the case throughout the tournament, our safety was considered paramount by UEFA and the Police. Despite the interruption to our usual preparation, we all agreed it was important for us not to let it affect our performance. Our focus and concentration would not be broken.
The match went very well for all three of us. As usual, there were a number of difficult offside decisions to make. However as long as you are totally concentrated and can block out the distractions of the crowd and TV cameras, you are able to give the correct decision 99 times out of 100. Spain won an entertaining match 2-1 and look as though they might go all the way to the final.
Howard refereed the match magnificently. In fact, having been by his side for the preceding few days with knowledge of all that he had gone through following the threats made against him, I thought it was a quite remarkable performance. The experience he had been put through would have broken lesser men, but like a true professional he refereed with confidence and authority, giving as calm a performance as I have ever seen from him.
The final chapter …
In our official debrief the following day, we were told that our display in the game between the Greeks and Spaniards had been one of the best refereeing performances of the tournament. However, as we expected, we were told we would be released to travel home ahead of the Euro 2008 knockout stages.
Being the least experienced of the 12 referees at the tournament, Howard had expected to take charge of only the two matches. Looking back it was a case of job done in that respect. We hope, and firmly believe, that firm foundations have been laid for our refereeing team ahead of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the next European Championships in four years time.
In my opinion Austria and Switzerland have hosted the event extremely well. Just one example of this has been the free travel provided for all fans in possession of a match ticket. The security, provision for public safety and general organisation of the event has also been excellent. Despite both host nations exiting the tournament early on there has been a real party atmosphere on the streets and in the grounds.
I was fortunate to have the privilege of watching four matches as a VIP, as well as the three matches I was involved in as either an Assistant Referee or 5th Official, and on one occasion we even mingled with the 30,000 spectators congregated in the Fan Zone in Zurich. This proved to be a great experience, sampling the games from the fans perspective!
We leave Euro 2008 with fond memories of some great experiences and three weeks that we will never forget. It was a privilege to play a small part in what is the third biggest sporting event on earth, led only by the World Cup and Olympic Games. Thanks to all my family and friends for your support during Euro 2008 and see you all soon.
Darren
Could you be the next Darren Cann? Click here or call County Headquarters on 01603 704050 to book onto our referee’s course this June!