“When I was told that I was being nominated to the FIFA panel as a FIFA referee for the 2012 season, I was elated, excited and overwhelmed with joy.” These were the words of Sherwin Trevor Johnson, Guyana’s newest entrant to the FIFA International List of Referees for 2012. Johnson, who originates from 33C Number Five Village, West Coast Berbice, is the second Berbician to become a FIFA referee, the first being the late Harold “Harry” Clarke, who hailed from New Amsterdam, East Berbice.
Born on March 6, 1979, to Victor Emanuel Johnson and Claudette Wendy Johnson, Sherwin grew up in an environment which was conducive to his quiet demeanor. Both of his parents are Pastors at the Victory Assembly of God Church, D’Edward, West Coast Berbice, and only as recently as last year Sherwin received a Diploma in Christian Theology. He has two brothers and one sister with him being the eldest.
He began his football career playing for Monnederlust Football Club of West Berbice as a defender representing them from Under-11 to the Senior Division. He captained the team on numerous occasions winning many trophies in the process.
After losing a quarter-final game in the Namilco Cup against Western Tigers in 2007, he had a change of heart with regards to his involvement in football. He decided to take up the offer of Ainsworth Ross who has been behind him to become a referee.
Prompted by the indisciplined behaviour of his club after they lost that game and the fact that there were few qualified referees in Berbice, Johnson felt he could have made a difference by implementing some amount of discipline on the field.
So in March 2008 when FIFA-trained Referee Instructor, Lawrence Griffith, conducted a Beginners Referee Course at the Blairmont Community Centre, he attended along with six other persons and was successful, attaining a pass mark of 92 percent.
Sherwin commenced his climb to the top, training daily, something which he enjoyed doing since he was a youngster. He is considered as one of the fittest referees in Guyana, always running the maximum amount of laps at the fitness tests conducted by the Guyana Football Referees’ Council three or four times annually.
Johnson attended the Number Five Primary School, Berbice High School, New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA).
Married to Golda Alexis Major for approximately seven years, this budding pastor excelled academically, obtaining five passes at the CXC including Mathematics, English, Accounts Technical Drawing and Agriculture Science.
He also received a Certificate in Radio and Electronics Service and Repairs while attending NATI and a Diploma in Agriculture while attending GSA. During his refereeing career he was tutored by Virgil Watts and Ingram Johnson, who both reside in West Berbice, Roy Mc Arthur and Lawrence Griffith.
Johnson’s first exposure as a referee internationally happened last year in Suriname where he officiated in the Inter-Guiana Club Championship, which involved Alpha United, two Suriname clubs and a club from French Guiana. He officiated in two games and was assistant referee in another.
He was selected to referee the GT& T Fast Ball final, involving Pele and Western Tigers, last year.
In the 2010/ 11 Kashif and Shanghai final, he was the fourth official and in the 2011/ 12 tournament he refereed the semi-final game involving Caledonia AIA and Milerock in what was considered the most important game in the tournament. In November 2011, he officiated in his first final in Berbice.
Off the football field
On September 29, 2004, Johnson became an employee of GuySuCo’s Blairmont Estate, working his way up the ladder. Currently, he is the acting supervisor in the Field Lab, but his substantive position is field foreman and he thoroughly enjoys his job.
The new FIFA referee’s ambition is to become the first male Guyanese referee to officiate in a senior World Cup, a dream he is aiming to fulfill in 2018. With his deportment, physical attributes and knowledge of the Laws of the Game, his wishes can become a reality.
Johnson would like to thank the Guyana Football Federation for accepting the recommendation of the Guyana Football Referees’ Council to nominate him to the 2012 list. He would also like to thank his employers (GuySuCo) for giving him the necessary time off so he could have fulfilled his many appointments and seminars; his wife for her understanding and encouragement; and his parents and siblings, who all encouraged him to work towards his goals.
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