EVERYONE points the finger at them, writes PAUL AGNEW.

In the Public Enemy league table soccer referees constantly battle against relegation.

Players give them grief, fans shout abuse, managers rant and rave and they provide a daily punch bag for the media.

If you have to be made to be a goalkeeper, where on earth does that leave referees?

Eddie Wolstenholme still isn't quite sure after a couple of decades of decision making: "There's pressure and heartache, but I suppose you have to say that by and large we just love doing the job.

"I do, for one. I just wish I was starting off again."

Eddie is Blackburn's premier official, now is his sixth season on the Football League list.

He's known controversy too.

Recall a Third Division game at Scarborough when three Darlington players were dismissed and their manager called the refereeing display "the worst I've seen in 30 years."

Eddie was the referee!

"Not a good day that one," he recalls with a pained expression. "But I stand by the decisions. I must admit that after the game I decided to drive straight home without hanging around."

But there was worse to come.

When the same two clubs clashed at Darlington earlier this season the designated referee had to cry off with injury.

Guess who the powers-that-be opted for as the stand in?

"That was a strange feeling, but I had no doubts about wanting to take it on and it went well - the manager who had criticised me in the previous fixture was as good as gold."

Eddie reckons the smaller games can provide the stiffest challenges, particularly when it comes to crowd involvement.

"I did Middlesbrough on Tuesday night and never heard a murmer although there were 30,000 people on. "But I've also done games in front of a couple of thousand people and heard every shout. The games don't tend to flow the same either - players higher up want the game to go on, lower down they appeal for the whistle far more."

Eddie refereed 45 top matches last season and he's averaging three a fortnight this term.

He kicked off 21 years ago when a knee injury forced him out of action while playing non-League with Walton-le-Dale (now better known as Bamber Bridge).

"One of the lads asked me to take the whistle at a couple of Sunday League games and to be honest I hated it. I wanted to be a player, still do - referees are frustrated footballers.

"Nine months later when my knee improved I got back playing again, but had started to get a bit of a liking for refereeing so I reffed on a Saturday and played on a Sunday and it just grew from there."

West Lancashire League games, North West Counties, Linesmans Panel and then, in 1991-92, came his big break.

If Crewe versus Torquay can ever be a big break!

"I was nervous, course I was, but confident at the same time. I thought it would go swimmingly without problems. By the final whistle I had sent one off and booked seven others - some start eh?

"It was a Torquay lad who went and five of his colleagues were booked - Crewe boss Dario Gradi, a real disciplinarian, felt I had missed one."

Self-critical - when I have had an indifferent game I run the game back through my mind before I can sleep - Eddie believes in constant conversation with the players and making himself available to the managers.

"I enjoy the chat with the players in a game and always tell the managers that my room will be open to them after a game, providing they give it 20 minutes or so. "I appreciate that managers are under pressure to get results so why shouldn't they be allowed to ask me about crucial decisions? I just think it helps build relationships."

Eddie's best experience came earlier this season. "I had the Sunderland-Manchester City game - the first match at the Stadium of Light - what a great occasion, it was fabulous to be a part of it. I also ran the line in the European Championship game between Italy and Hungary.

"I've four more seasons ahead of me and my only disappointment is never having had the chance of being considered good enough to join the Premier League list.

"Contrary to what many people say, referees hate sending players off. We have to operate within the rules whether we agree with them or not.

"Handball on the line is one grey area for me. It's a human reaction and I would just rather be in a position to award a goal and leave the culprit on the pitch.

"But the "goal-scoring opportunity" rule is a good one for the game and I've certainly noticed a difference with that."

Professional referees?

"It would possibly makes us 10 per cent fitter and that's about all. It certainly wouldn't eliminate mistakes. People have said it would make us 25 per cent fitter - if that's the case we're not fit enough to begin with.

Television?

"We accept it although you are under more pressure.

"Jack Taylor was the best referee in my book, but he never had to contend with 15 or 20 different camera angles or the assessment of the pundits.

"But, whatever and however many angles they use they will never have the referee's angle."

An engineer by trade, Eddie lives with wife Fiona and children Paul (17) and Lynsey (13) in the Pleckgate area of town. He works in Preston and once gave a penalty to Burnley in a big cup clash with North End.

"Going to work the following morning was a nightmare. But you get thick skinned and learn how to deal with the banter."

The other week Eddie returned to his roots to take charge of a Lancashire Amateur Shield tie between Harpers Villa and Preston Wanderers.

"The lads showed me a lot of respect which was nice, but I found the game hard to ref.

"It was all stop-start - the lower down you go the more the players look for every nudge and push to be pulled up."

Eddie keeps an exact routine for every game, arriving at the same time, going through the same procedure and carrying the same items out with him onto the pitch. "I have a watch on both wrists, pens and pencils and a couple of hankies. I keep the yellow card in my front left pocket and my red card - well, if a player sees me make a move to my back pocket, he knows he's walking!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.