Former Premier League official Mo Matadar was invited to speak to members of the dementia awareness group Remember the Rovers who meet at Ewood Park.
Mo Matadar was born and raised in Blackburn and rose through the non-league ranks as a referee before officiating games in the Premier League.
He was part of refereeing teams that oversaw matches at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, the Etihad and Anfield between some of the nation's biggest clubs.
The Remember the Rovers group is run by the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust.
Mo said: “It is always a pleasure coming down to Blackburn Rovers, as a Blackburn boy born and bred, it’s always nice to speak with fellow Blackburn Rovers fans.
“It is a great initiative you have here every week, getting fans together and discussing the Rovers and football in general, it’s been a pleasure to come along.”
With the ever-increasing focus on match officials, Matadar organised a game of ‘You are the ref’ to help showcase the difficult job referees have when making decisions, and got the participants to justify what their decision would be from the clips shown.
He said: “It is amazing how good their knowledge is of Blackburn Rovers but also the game in general which was fantastic to see.
“It was important for me to show that we can all watch the same incidents and come up with different outcomes and that is why it is so difficult for referees.
“What you see as a red card, someone else might see as a yellow card, and others might think it’s not a foul at all as the game can be so subjective sometimes.
“I hope that the activity of showing different clips and making a decision shows how difficult it is to get a definitive on situations, in a world where fans want a definitive answer.”
Mo asked group members to take in a game of 'You are the Ref'
Mo said he was proud of his achievement reaching the very top of the game.
He said: “The only disappointment I’d say I had, with my career going so well, was it meant the fewer opportunities it gave me to watch Blackburn Rovers as on a matchday I would be out and about officiating.
“But it was a pleasure, it has opened my eyes to everything that goes on in the game both on and off the pitch.
“It is a privilege to work at that level of the game and, I always say as a match official in a stadium of 70,000 people, being on the pitch you have the best seat in the house!
“There is more and more football and the number of referees required keeps growing and the progress through grassroots to the professional game is getting shorter.
“In terms of refereeing, there has never been a better time to be involved in the game and I would encourage anyone with aspirations in the game to get involved as there is a pathway right to the top.”
Mo also praised the work of the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust.
He added: “I think it is essential Blackburn Rovers Community Trust runs groups like this.
"Football clubs bring people together because there is that common goal and common interest.
“It’s great that Blackburn Rovers are leading on initiatives like Remember the Rovers as it gives people a focus and something to look forward to.
“Everyone comes here knowing on a Wednesday morning they will see all their friends in a familiar place and I’m sure they can’t wait for the season to start.
“These are the same people they’ll see on a matchday and so throughout the summer Remember the Rovers keeps that connection going as socially it is so important.
“Blackburn Rovers is a true community club that brings people of all faiths, religions, backgrounds and ages together for that common purpose.”
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