REFEREES are the men everyone loves to hate. Managers slag them off, players swear at them, the fans boo them.

But as he prepares for his last season as a professional referee, Blackburn's Eddie Wolstenholme knows how he wants to be remembered when he hangs up his whistle.

"You do not do the job to be liked," he claimed. "All I hope is that when I finish I will have earned the respect of the people in the game."

At 48 Eddie knows his time is almost up and he kicks off his final Premiership campaign as the fourth official at Old Trafford for Manchester United versus West Brom tomorrow.

But when he does hang up his whistle, there is no doubt which game he will most be remembered for.

"I refereed one of the best games ever seen at Wembley," he explained. "The 4-4 draw between Sunderland and Charlton in the first division play-off final was an absolute classic but no one even knows I was in charge.

"The game that has started getting me recognised when I go on holiday was last season when Sheffield United played West Brom."

The so-called "Battle of Bramall Lane" grabbed front as well as back page headlines as three Blades players were sent off, two more went off injured and Eddie brought the sides off as Neil Warnock's side was down to just six players.

The managers flung accusations about and Eddie really was the man in the middle but he looks back with a clear conscience and the satisfaction of a job well done.

"My phone was red hot, national papers wanted to buy my story, colleagues rang to support me," he explained. "I also got letters from fans from both clubs supporting me.

"And I had no need to buy any papers because when I went back to work they were all over the shop floor."

That work is as a fitter at Alston's in Preston but now he is one of the select group of officials he works just a couple of days a week, although he will return full time next year.

For the moment he is concentrating on being physically and mentally prepared for the pressures of life at the top of the game where every virtually every decision he takes is put under the microscope.

"The introduction of professional ref was the right thing to do, you are now getting younger ones coming through and the real benefits will be seen in the next five years," he said.

"It took me 15 years to work up to reffing at League level but now the chance is there for people to do it in eight or nine," he said.

His career as a man in black began after he was injured as a 22-year-old full back playing against Leyland Motors.

"A lad asked me to have a go at reffing and my first game was the RAOB Club against Whitbread Samlesbury," he explained. "I did not like it and was going to pack up after a month.

"I did not know what I was doing, I was getting stick off the players but I was still talked into staying on.

"After three months I found out I could get on OK with the players and I decided I was better off going out on a Sunday and not getting kicked around and covered in bruises."

The long road to the top had started and while he was away on business in China last summer he got the call that told him he had reached it.

Philip Don is in charge of the PGMOB (Pro Group of Match Officials Board) and he rang Eddie who said: "I thought my chance had gone when I did not get promoted after doing the Sunderland and Charlton game at Wembley. He gave me 24 hours to think about it but I told him I did not need that, I accepted immediately."

Tonight he returns to Blackburn after the latest fortnightly session with his refereeing colleagues at Staverton.

They work on their fitness, monitored daily by downloading information from a wristwatch, and examine incidents on video as they continue to try and improve standards.

Eddie is determined his standards will be as high as possible during his final season, whether he is in charge of a game at Old Trafford or Pleasington.

And if he does not make the national headlines again, he'll be delighted!