A British report revealed that the Referees Committee of the English Football Association sent a list to all “Premier League” clubs containing the foods that must be served to the referees on match day, and called on them to fully adhere to them.
And the British newspaper “Daily Mail” stated that the committee began to give the referees’ diet a high priority, similar to the players who take it very seriously to maintain their physical fitness at the best level, as well as their physical health.
And she explained that the committee sent to the English Premier League clubs a list of food required to be provided to the referees, explaining what is permitted and what is not permitted on the day of the match, as it was divided into two parts before and after the match, and also includes hot and cold food.
The list of permitted items that could be served before the match included certain bars of chocolate, as well as fruits such as mangoes and kiwis, as well as yogurt and sushi.
After the match, the menu appears more comprehensive, as it includes chicken, beef and fish, as it contains a high percentage of protein. It also includes fried foods, curries, noodle dishes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, salad and fish pie.
Excluded options
On the other hand, the list included other options that are seen as unhealthy and should not be offered to the judges, such as sandwiches and foods that are high in fiber, in addition to nuts, as they take longer to digest.
According to the “Daily Mail”, this suggestion came from former English referee Howard Webb, who has made the fitness and health of the referees a priority for him since he assumed the position of Chairman of the Referees Committee, in cooperation with former Manchester United doctor Steve McNally.
Webb managed hundreds of matches in the English Premier League from 2003 to 2014, while McNally worked as a doctor for Manchester United for 5 years, starting in 2006.
McNally worked with a group of specialists in sports affairs in order to reach a specific conclusion that referees should eat appropriate foods on match day in order to ensure that they take care of their health.
The newspaper believes that it is very logical, given that the referees run more than 12 kilometers in some matches.
