A REFEREE has been helped by his two sons to oversee the final of a youth football competition.

Chris McConnell, 39, and his sons Rob, 16, and Phill, 14, from Consett, County Durham, officiated together for the first time on Saturday in the final of the Derwent and Medomsley Cup between the Sunderland and Bishop Auckland Under-11s district sides.

Mr McConnell was the man in the middle and his sons, who are also both qualified referees, were linesmen.

Sunderland won 3-2 after extra time in an exciting match played at Burnhope Primary School, near Stanley, in County Durham. It was Sunderland’s third successive victory Mr McConnell has been a referee for six years, taking charge of youth games and adult Sunday league fixtures.

Rob has been arbitrating in games for two years and is travelling to Minnesota for the second year running to officiate at the USA Cup, in July.

Phill qualified earlier this year and has already refereed more than ten games.

Mr McConnell said he and his sons were asked to officiate by the head of the primary school, David Collingwood, who knew both McConnell boys from their days as district players.

“Normally there is just a referee in youth games. It is only in semi-finals and finals that you have linesmen as well.

“It was great, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our Phill loved it because it was his first ever line and Rob loves doing lines and wanted to show his little brother how it is done.

“I have never heard of the referee and linesman being from the same family before.

We are going to the Referee’s Association AGM and we’ll ask them if they have heard of it.

“There is bound to have been someone who has done it before but it is probably rare.’’ Mr McConnell, who described the game as exciting, with a late winner, said his sons were hoping to go all the way and become Football League referees.

He added that referees got criticism even at such a local level from players in Sunday league games and from parents in children’s matches.

“Your decision is final, whether it is right or wrong, and everybody has to accept that,” he said.