At 37 years of age, Jerome Damon is one of the top match officials on the African continent, and the only South African to make Fifa’s referee panel for the Soccer World Cup. The Mail & Guardian caught up with the Cape Town schoolteacher to find out what makes him tick, and to settle once and for all where his allegiances lie.
1. When did you start refereeing?
I started refereeing when I was still in grade 11 at Spes Bona High School in Cape Town.
2. How did you choose to follow a career as a referee?
I was never interested in playing football, although most of the men in family played football. As time passed, I would trek with my friends to the field to watch them play. One day they needed a referee and they asked me — I obliged, rather reluctantly.
My dad was, at that time, an active referee in local football. I naturally identified all his friends when I went to the field as most of them were referees. They seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to give it a go. Needless to say, the next time I was asked to referee, I grabbed it with both hands and lots of enthusiasm.
3. What was your first major match? And how did that go for you?
My first match in the PSL was in 1996. I was appointed as an assistant referee (linesman) in a match in Pretoria. It was the first time I travelled by air. It goes without saying … I had lots of crazy butterflies in the tummy. When I arrived at Jan Smuts Airport (now OR Tambo International Airport), I was on the lookout for someone who looked soccer-like. My memory then becomes a blur …
All I can recall about the match is that a referee assessor was sent just to evaluate my performance. The pressure was immense, but I enjoyed it. I made up my mind that no matter what the assessor thought of my performance, I was going to enjoy the moment, because it could just be my last! The rest is history (as they say).
4. What has been your most memorable match thus far?
It had to be the last round of the World Cup qualifier matches between Egypt and Algeria in Cairo. A place for the World Cup was at stake, and Egypt needed to win by a margin of more than three goals. A two-goal difference would send the match into a play-off, and any other result would see Algeria qualify.
Weeks prior to the match, an all-out war broke between the media of the two nations — to say that they hated one another would just be putting it mildly! When the Algerians arrived in Cairo, the team bus was pelted with rocks, injuring seven players, so the battle lines were already clearly defined. Kick-off was scheduled for the evening but by midday the gates of the 90 0000-seater Cairo International Stadium had to be closed as all the tickets had already been sold. When we arrived at the stadium, a barricade was erected between the change rooms of both teams so that they could not see one another.
As the game progressed, it became apparent that the Egyptians may not qualify as the score remained 1-0. They became desperate and it did not help me that I ruptured a calf muscle early in the second half. The desperations reached a crescendo when the Egyptian captain, Ahmed Hassan, tried to grab my watch from my arm so that I could not see the time. And then … in the 6th minute of my added time, Egypt scored to make it 2-0. Bedlam and pandemonium! I swear I could feel the earth move under my feet. Egypt had forced a play-off match and 80-million Egyptians celebrated all through the night!
5. A moment on the pitch you would rather forget?
In the early 2000s, a match at the Rand Stadium involving Moroka Swallows. Gary McNab, the Swallows captain, stepped up for a free kick just outside the penalty area. Forty-five minutes had already elapsed and I was going to signal the end of the half. However, McNab insisted on taking the kick. He delayed and I had had enough and blew my whistle. Except that my whistle coincided with the ball sailing into the opponents’ net! The goal did not stand and that was the goal that caused them to lose.
After the match, the crowd was baying for my blood. It was the only time that my wife, Bronwyn, came to watch me referee live. And it was the only time that the crowd bayed for my blood in South Africa. She was a real wreck because I had to be smuggled out of the stadium and she could not say that she was linked to me cause the unhappy crowd may have done something to her.
6. Which matches do you look forward to most, locally?
I used to look forward to the Soweto derby: Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates. They were always special. Now I look out just to be appointed. I thrive on the pressure — the tougher the match, the more I enjoy it!
7. You have been selected for the referees’ panel at this year’s World Cup. How does that make you feel?
There is a mixture of emotions: excitement, satisfaction and humility. This has been a journey that we have embarked on. It is really satisfying that we are able to represent our country at the World Cup in our own backyard. I am always mindful that I have been selected from many and this thought humbles me. I realise that there have been many in South Africa, like my dad, who have been denied this opportunity because of our past, so I don’t dare take this for granted. I am also thankful to God for looking down on an unlovely one like me with compassion and granting me the chance to live my dream.
8. By day you are an educator. Do the skills you learn in the classroom come in handy on the pitch, and vice-versa?
Yes, they have been rather complimentary. Sometimes footballers behave like stubborn teenagers and then I think back to how I handle them in class, and then there are times when the skills I have learnt through refereeing help me to deal with incidents that happen in my class.
9. With a wife and two young kids at home, how do you manage to find a balance between your family life, work and your commitments as a referee?
It would not be possible without support systems, particularly the support we get from family. My wife is the head of that operation when I’m not around (when I am, it is a joint venture). Our parents lend a hand, as do our siblings. Our friends have also been very helpful; they look after my wife and kids and do regular check-ups if I am not around.
On the school front, I have had very supportive headmasters in Craig George and now Mark Wildschut. They, along with the SGB and the rest of the members of staff, rally around to ensure that things tick on whilst I am away — their only requirement is that the work is prepared and that there is a substitute present to ensure that the show does go on. In refereeing I have an inner circle who support me through my highs and my lows. My mentor appointed by Fifa, Ian McLeod (he refereed in France 1998), also assists in this regard.
10. There has been talk of referees in South Africa taking up the positions professionally. What are your thoughts on this?
It has to happen. It is a miracle that we have been able to hold our own against those who are professional in Europe. This step will only elevate refereeing, and as a consequence football, to a higher level.
11. You were recently at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. What are your thoughts on the standard of refereeing on the African continent?
We don’t have to stand back for any referee in the world. If we were appointed to referee a Champions League match in Europe or the Copa America, we could do that with great success. The playing fields have been levelled through the introduction of the Fifa Referee Assistance Programme.
12. What do you do to unwind?
I chill at the cricket or get totally absorbed with the rugby on TV. I may even indulge my favourite authors, Dan Brown, John Grisham and recently John van der Ruit.
13. Name three things that are within arms’ reach right now
My PC, my cellphone and my son’s teddy bear
14. And finally, which football teams do you support?
I don’t support any team in South Africa or Africa (as it would be very unethical), but just because the large majority of kids at my school (and my friends) support Manchester United, I support Chelsea, mostly because of the African players in the team.