BY JAMES ROSS – FAN FUEL BLOGGER

I think virtually anyone who has reffed a higher level soccer match in the city of Edmonton owes, in some way or another, a debt to local boy and FIFA referee Dave Gantar. His influence on the community is huge, from his innovations for our indoor soccer matches, to his rather thought provoking tactics to get you to think outside of your particular box (like not using your voice at all to any players during a half, as but one example) and his ability to challenge each of us to better ourselves every time we hit the pitch.

His recent successes, from being named to the FIFA list, and his exploits refereeing MLS and international matches, recently culminated in his assignment to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he took charge of the USA versus Cuba match. I spoke to Dave shortly before the Gold Cup commenced, and these are his thoughts on all things refereeing and otherwise.

James Ross: In your first full match as a FIFA referee, you had to issue a straight red card to a member of the Surinam under-20 men’s team. It was described post-match as a “brave but correct call.” How did it feel to have to issue a red card in your very first match as a FIFA official?

Dave Gantar: There is a lot of work and practice that occurs on a referee’s journey to becoming a FIFA referee and ultimately being appointed to an international tournament. The game is continually increasing in speed, decisions are becoming more difficult and expectations of officials are increasing. It is my belief that all of that hard work and practice prepared me for this decision and all the other decisions I have had to make since then.

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JR: As a member of the newly formed Professional Referee’s Association, how has working with ex-English Premier League referee Peter Walton been different than how things operated last year?

DG: The key word for me in PRO is professional and this is what the first few years of the change that Peter has brought. No longer is this a hobby for the 20 referees that have part-time and full-time contracts but this is a job with expectations of fitness, attendance of meetings, etc. Referees around the world talk about this being a profession and in North America we are now fortunate that this is a reality.

JR: Does he have any unique approaches or ideas?

DG: The one item for me that Peter has brought is a positive and supporting environment. Many people may not know that the referee community is the hardest of everyone on itself – we spend a lot of time on right and wrong and basically tearing one another apart. Peter has built a positive environment where the confidence of referees is built up and where it is understood that we will make mistakes…that is just a reality.

JR: As a mainstay refereeing in the Alberta Major Soccer League, as well as at various Canadian National Championships, how did your experiences at these levels help you prepare for the step up to MLS and FIFA?

DG: Canada is uniquely positioned in the world with such a mix of cultures. On any given team you can have a mix of a variety of different nationalities or maybe a team comprised of everyone from one culture (South American or African). That mixture of playing styles and cultures prepares us for the mix of styles as we reach new levels in CONCACAF and FIFA.

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JR: Was any of that process a hindrance for you at all?

DG: As I was going through these cycles, I was supported and provided with enough opportunities to get to where I am at today (and hopefully to help me out in the future as well).

JR: You’ve had plenty of opportunities, refereeing in the various countries of CONCACAF, to see how life is unique and different in each of these nations. Is there any story, specific to your travels as a FIFA official, that you’d like to relay about an instance (non-soccer related) that was, shall we say, interesting?

DG: We were nearing the final phases of the Gold Cup in 2011 and we were walking through a hotel in Dallas when a crowd of people just surrounded us and started asking for autographs. They knew me by name, they knew what games I had done and let’s just say they knew a lot more about a FIFA referee from Canada than I thought they would!

The first time you walk into a tunnel, in Central America, with 30,000 people going nuts and guys with machine guns lining the tunnel (looking a little nervous) and then you walk out and you are glad to see the 30 foot barb wire fences separating you and the fans… you know something is different.

JR: As a FIFA official, what sort of training regimen do you follow to maintain your fitness?

DG: We follow a daily fitness routine as prescribed by our PRO physical trainer which has workouts 6 days per week including: stretching, conditioning, weights, core and flexibility. We are required to record our heart rate and what we have completed through an online system on a daily basis.

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JR: Do you do anything unique yourself during training, above and beyond how FIFA direct you?

DG: There are a few things that make me who I am such as: riding my bike to and from work, yoga, Pilates and I used to love going out and playing a little hockey in the winter but time has just not worked out on that over the last few years.

JR: How about diet? Again, do you do anything unique diet-wise, or just follow FIFA directives? How specific are they about game day diet, and so on?

DG: PRO brought in a dietician to review what we have eaten (we actually had to record everything we ate over two separate weekends) and provide some guidance on how to improve. The key on this is that we are all individuals and that a mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats is required that is optimal to the individual’s needs.

JR: Do you have any sort of pre-game routine you follow before MLS games, or FIFA matches?

DG: This is an interesting question because we are all creatures of habit so I have learned that my best laid plans quite often do not play out the way we want to and we have to be flexible. There are certain things including music, meditation, stretching, eating, meeting with the referee team, etc. that I do like to follow. Once you reach the stadium you are typically on a timeline as provided by the teams or match commissioner and then you get going.

JR: Your father Stan, who was the director of the community league soccer program where you got your start as a young referee in 1987, passed away when you were still in your early teens. How inspirational has his memory been to you, given you got your start as a referee in a program he was running?

DG: My Dad was a special man that I was fortunate enough to learn from for 15 years. He worked hard, he stuck to his principles and he is missed! My Dad was very supportive of me in whatever I chose to do and the encouragement he gave me to start refereeing started something that has blossomed into a great opportunity for me. It is my hope that I did absorb some of the core things that he was and that I am able to be consistent with them every day of my life.

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JR: How about your family? How has the support of your mother and siblings been helpful to you during your process of personal growth as a referee?

DG: My family is amazing from my mom to my brothers everyone has been there for me through the ups and downs and I can assure you that there has been a lot of them. If a referee does not have a support network, I don’t know how they make it – you have a rough game and you need to talk with someone that loves you no matter what.

On a related note, I think that my mom doesn’t get it. She thinks I should be in the backyard taking care of my garden and not travelling around North America on weekends to referee games.

JR: How about your wife?

DG: When it comes to Krista and the support she provides me in doing this, I cannot be more fortunate. There have been many times that the months away from home, the daily training, the games that did not go well that I would come home and she would dust me off and make sure I kept at it. She knows (and reminds me) that the life of an international referee ends at the age of 45. I might as well enjoy this opportunity until then.

JR: How accommodating has your employer been towards your selection for MLS and FIFA international matches?

DG: NorQuest College is an amazing place to work not only for what we do in the Edmonton community but also for many of the great people that I have the opportunity to work with. The support I have received, in my opinion, is above what I would expect from any employer. Over the last few years, I have averaged close to 80 days away from home and NorQuest has supported me with the flexibility allowed to referee and keep my job.

JR: With the 2014 World Cup happening in Brazil next year, how hopeful are you of getting the call?

DG: The chance to make it to 2014 still exists but it is minimal. While it is a long journey to get onto the FIFA list, it is also a long journey to work and learn the international world! There is a shortlist of seven referees in CONCACAF that has been created and they have been working through a number of camps (started last year) leading up to the World Cup. Of that group, three or four will be selected to officiate in Brazil.

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JR: In MLS, of all the players you’ve had the opportunity to referee, which one has made the biggest impression on you in terms of what they do on the field?

DG: It has been amazing to run on the field with players from around the world that have done some amazing things. For me David Beckham has been one of those players that has stood out for me. His touch on the ball is absolutely amazing and to be on the field, see what he sees and then see him place the ball through to someone that was not even in the picture is just brilliant.

JR: How about fellow referees? Are there any Canadian officials who have been helpful and encouraging? CONCACAF officials? And why?

DG: The referees community is an amazing and very misunderstood group – people usually have this perspective of the person on the field giving them a yellow card and they do not get to see the personal side of them. It is very, very rare that you run into a referee that is not a good person and someone that will do anything to help you out.

These are human beings with jobs, families, friends, etc. And they have to play a very important role in the game of soccer so that it can be played. We were recently in a PRO camp (we go monthly) and Schellas Hyndman (the coach of FC Dallas) was showing what his week looks like, his objective (to allow the players to be the best they can be) and I think everyone was slightly amused that everything he talked about was the same for us as well.

These referees, in Canada and beyond are all there to make the “beautiful game” beautiful and the support I have received in helping me to get to where I am at is just too much to summarize in a short paragraph.

JR: Are there any professional referees in Europe that you greatly admire? And why?

DG: I don’t think admire is the right word but respect is. There are a number of great referees such as Howard Webb (referee of the last World Cup Final) that I was fortunate enough to spend some time with in Edmonton when he was officiating at the 2009 U-20 World Cup) that I enjoy watching but I respect anyone who takes to the field to do what we do. It is not easy.

JR: If you could have one game back since you became a FIFA referee, which one would it be?

DG: Every single one! As referees, we are all striving to be better and I can assure you that none of us have ever had the perfect game.