BOLTON and District Referees Society had many successes last season and the new campaign has begun in similar fashion.

A few of the most prominent members have been given top appointments.

Lee Mason has two Champions League games, as the fourth official in the Panathinaikos v Standard Liege game and as additional asistant referee when Bayer Leverkusen host FC Kobenhavn.

He has also received two Barclays Premier League appointments so far as referee at Chelsea v Leicester City and Manchester City v Stoke City.

Darren Handley, in his first season as a Football League referee, has received three League Two appointments as referee – Oxford United v Burton Albion, York City v Northampton Town and AFC Wimbledon v Stevenage.

The following members have won promotion up the refereeing ladder: Will Kendall level seven to level six, Nigel Anderson level five to level four, Paul Ince level four to level three.

Darren Handley was promoted to the Football League Referees’ national list of referees, while Ryan Johnson was promoted to the Conference list of referees.

Last season, members were given a large amount of local and national cup final and semi-final appointments, some of the more high profile ones being: Darren Handley – referee, FA Trophy quarter-final, Grimsby Town v Tamworth; assistant referee, Johnson Paint Trophy, Fleetwood Town v Rotherham United; assistant referee, FA Sunday Cup Final, Oyster Martyrs (Liverpool) v Humbledon Plains Down (Sunderland); referee, Conference play-off semi-final second leg, Cambridge v AFC Halifax.

Ryan Johnson – referee, FA Sunday Cup semi-final, Oyster Martyrs v Plough FC Wellington; referee, MCFA Senior Cup Final, Manchester United v Manchester City.

Lee Mason – referee, FA Cup sixth round, Sheffield United v Charlton Athletic; referee, Capital One Cup semi-final second leg, Manchester United v Sunderland; referee, Championship play-off final at Wembley, Derby County v Queens Park Rangers; additional assistant referee, UEFA Champions League, Dinamo Zagreb v Austria Wien; additional assistant referee, UEFA Champions League, Benfica v Paris Saint-Germain; additional assistant referee, UEFA Europa League, Fiorentina v Juventus.

Iain Siddall – referee, LFA Senior Cup final, Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers; fourth official, LFA Professional Youth Cup final, Blackpool v Oldham Athletic.

z To learn more about the society, or if you are interested in becoming a referee, visit law5.co.uk.

Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month at Tonge Moor Conservative Club, Bolton at 8pm.