Maplin UK Championship

	As the tournament approaches, Brendon Moore (New Referee) takes time out to talk to Maplin about the his preparation for the tournament
	Brendon Moore – New Referee

	How did you get into refereeing? I come from Sheffield and played in the local league with a friend who took the refereeing qualification. It seemed interesting so I decided to take it also. I qualified in 2002 and started refereeing the local leagues. By 2003 I was already working on the European under 19s matches in Wellinborough. Well known ref Len Ganley put me forward for the Pontins competition and I haven’t looked back. What qualities do you need to be a ref? Firstly you need to have an extremely high concentration level and a decent memory for where the balls are in case a shot needs to be retaken. I never find it hard to concentrate because you are always moving around; you’re never in one place for long. This is my first full year as a television referee and the pressure certainly increases when the cameras are there. The first ten minutes of the match I refereed in the Maplin UK Championship were nerve-racking but I calmed down when I had a job to do. The bigger the crowd and the bigger the occasion, the easier it is to concentrate: people are watching your every move, be that the players, commentators or viewers. You have to be strong and confident in your decisions. That said, you need to be big enough to admit a mistake. You also have to adjust your style, for example Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jamie Cope go around the table at 100MPH so you have to keep up!
	How long do you plan on being a ref? I love refereeing, I am in it for good: they’ll have to get rid of me before I leave! What’s your ambition? Most refs want to referee a world final. Being a local lad, all I want to do is say I have refereed at the Crucible: I used to go there to watch the snooker as a young boy so it would mean an awful lot to me. Are you ever off duty? I still play in my local league but I let the ref make the decisions. I can still watch snooker as a fan as well. I don’t watch the matches I have reffed in unless my wife has taped it. When I watch it again, I am always critical of my performance but I guess that’s human nature. Who are your ideal refs? Jan Verhaas and Eirian Williams are head and shoulders above the rest. They always look calm and unflustered around the table. It gives the players confidence in them to make the right decisions
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