Match Officials selected for UEFA U17 EURO
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15 May 2022

Match Officials selected for UEFA U17 EURO

Referee Tom Owen and assistant John Bryant will officiate in a finals tournament for the first time when they travel to Israel this month.

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The pair have been selected for the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Finals, which is returning after the last two editions were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 16 May to 1 June.

Deeside referee Owen, who regularly officiates in the JD Cymru Premier, achieved the biggest promotion of his career in 2021 by gaining a place on the FIFA International Referee's List.

Since becoming a FIFA referee, Owen has officiated on numerous international matches, including a friendly between Malta and Kuwait in March, as well as a UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifier, UEFA Euro U19 Championship Qualifier and UEFA Youth League fixture. 

"It's an incredible honour to be selected to represent your country on any occasion but being involved in a finals tournament is a promising sign in such an early stage of my European career," said Owen on his latest appointment. 

"It took me a little while to come to terms with it but I'm very humbled by the appointment. I think this should give everybody confidence that they can do it too and hopefully this can inspire others to pick up a whistle or a flag.

"There are so many opportunities for people to stay involved at the highest level of the game and certainly higher than what I ever anticipated I would be involved in. Cheryl Foster has had an appointment for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Championship too, so this is all great news for us as a country."

FIFA Assistant Referee and fellow JD Cymru Premier official Bryant will also join Owen in Israel for his first finals tournament. 

The pair both took charge of a fixture between Barry Town United and Cardiff Met in the domestic game in April and will now link up on the international stage for the UEFA competition.

"I think it's unquestionably the biggest achievement of my own personal career," said Bryant. "I've been fortunate enough to be involved in many high-profile games, but this is by far my biggest opportunity. 

"I've spoken to some of my colleagues who have been lucky enough to be involved in finals tournaments previously, and they said this is a unique and surreal experience to referee alongside 23 others from across Europe.

"There will be people from a range of backgrounds, so hopefully I can take a lot from it and bring the experience back to this country for my own career."

Find out more information and match official appointments at the UEFA European Under -17 Championship Finals by clicking here

For more information on how to become a referee, visit becomearef.wales.