Guernsey’s Victoria Park, has agreed a duo of sponsorship deals with local referees Tom Strawbridge and Brent Blondel as they look to develop their refereeing careers both at home and away.
Tom and Brent are well-known faces on Guernsey’s football scene, having both played competitively at a local level before transitioning into refereeing. Recent changes have enabled Guernsey-based match officials to progress to Level 4, opening the door to officiating Step 5 football within the National League System (NLS) and creating new pathways for career development.
With limited opportunities to referee higher-level matches on island, Victoria Park’s sponsorship will enable Tom and Brent to travel regularly to the UK. This will allow them to gain invaluable experience officiating at new grounds, working with different clubs, and learning alongside UK-based match officials as they continue to develop their skills.
In addition to the sponsorship agreement, Victoria Park has established links with Puma, the official kit partner of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). Through this partnership, both referees have been supplied with official Puma kit to wear when travelling and officiating.
Rob Jones, Victoria Park Director, said: “Part of our mission statement is to support enhanced experiences and create a lifelong journey within the game. Victoria Park already does this for local players, coaches, officials and supporters, and with this sponsorship, we are extending that commitment by supporting these two ambitious referees as they focus on developing their careers off-island.
“Tom and Brent’s dedication to challenging themselves at a higher level is exemplary. If they can become pioneers for future aspiring officials, then that will be a fantastic achievement – and we are extremely proud to play a small part in helping realise that goal.”
Tom said: “Victoria Park’s sponsorship has been huge in enabling me to progress my refereeing career and, hopefully, pave the way for future Guernsey match officials to experience a similar journey.
“I’d like to progress as far up the ladder as possible. Who knows what that level is, but Victoria Park’s support it is already allowing me to officiate at a level that wasn’t previously possible, and I’m incredibly grateful to the team for their backing.”
Brent said: “I’m keen to develop my refereeing career as far as I can, but one of the biggest barriers is the cost involved in travelling regularly to the UK. Victoria Park’s sponsorship will be a huge support, helping me gain invaluable experience with new teams, at different grounds, and alongside match officials off-island. I’m really grateful for the opportunities it will open up, and hope it will set an example for future Guernsey referees as they come through the ranks.”
Pictured: Tom Strawbridge and Brent Blondel
