RAF Boulmer referee becomes first Forces official to oversee remembrance match

An RAF Boulmer serviceman has refereed a special remembrance football match.
Referee Ryan Morris.Referee Ryan Morris.
Referee Ryan Morris.

Senior Aircraftsman (SAC) Ryan Morris, 22, was in charge of the match between Oxhey Jets Youth and RAF Icuras in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

SAC Morris – the first ever Forces official to be invited to take charge of the match – was personally invited to referee the fixture by Jets founder and general manager John R Elliott ‘BEM’ after seeing him referee a game at St George’s Park between the RAF and the New Zealand Defence corp last November.

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John said: “I was highly impressed with his refereeing and his manner and attitude that I thought was both a credit to the RAF and the youth that would be involved at Oxhey Jets on the day.

Referee Ryan Morris at the remembrance match.Referee Ryan Morris at the remembrance match.
Referee Ryan Morris at the remembrance match.

“The match was refereed to an excellent standard and Morris was a fantastic advert to youngsters chatting and explaining life in the RAF to youngsters who would not be joining as officers, he definitely left here with people looking into a RAF career possibility.

SAC Morris, who often referees games across Northumberland, also laid a wreath on behalf of the match officials.

Earlier this year, he received the RAF’s Most Promising Young Referee Award.

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The fixture was played in memory of Jets player, Private Tom Lake who was killed aged 29 whilst serving with the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales’ Regiment in Afghanistan in 2011.

Oxhey won 6-1 with around £2,000 raised from a poppy tin collection in aid of the Royal British Legion.