A YOUNG football referee from Princetown really played his cards right to be selected to officiate at the FA Premier League ?summer festival 2003? last week.
17-year-old Mark Wallace convinced mentors at Plymouth Argyle Centre of Excellence he was on the ball, and Devon FA chose him as one of three young officials to represent the county at the tournament.
Mark, who began refereeing in February, has just returned from the prestigious event at Keele University, Staffordshire, where he kept order in the under-12s competition involving teams from Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton and several other great footballing cities.
?It was a great honour because it was the first time someone from Devon has been selected for the tournament,? said Mark, who studies sport at Duchy College.
?It was good fun and the teams were really good which made it quite easy to referee.?
Mark, who regularly officiates in the DJM league for players from 11 to 18, is also a keen player.
He said: ?I?ve always enjoyed playing football. My dad is a referee, and I got into it through him really.?