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West Yorkshire Referee On The Ball At Global Youth Football Cup

Harry Vaux in middle at the Final

A West Yorkshire referee has received a boost to his experience after officiating at the final of a major international football tournament.

Harry Vaux, 21, from Bradford, travelled to The Algarve, Portugal, as one of five English FA referees at The IberCup – and around 20 others from across Europe.

And after taking charge of several matches, tournament officials asked him to referee the Under-15s final.

Harry said:
“I was already very proud when I heard I was representing England as just one of five referees, but to be asked to take charge of the final was something I never expected, and a great honour. The fact I received extremely positive feedback from officials after the game will certainly help me as I move forward in my career.

“It was an experience with memories that will last forever. I met and worked with some great people during the tournament, and I’m very grateful to everyone who made it possible.”

Harry, a qualified referee from the West Riding FA, has previously refereed teams including Burnley and Sheffield United youth teams, as well as Saturday league teams across the district.

The IberCup – which rotates between the USA, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, and Japan - is one of the most important World Youth Football Tournaments.

Since its launch, more than 80 countries have taken part and each year about 40,000 players participate in IberCup tournaments for a week of competition, fantastic experiences and extraordinary opportunities to compete with teams all over the world.