At First Touch Soccer we like to help our students and course attendees learn the laws of the game as well as how to play it. Both our head coaches are F.A. Qualified Referees and have been recognised for excellence in performance with various awards for their officiating over recent years.

Steve Hawkes is currently a Level 5 Referee officiating in the Aldershot & District Senior League and Combined Counties League. Although he only took up refereeing just 4 years ago, he has already been honoured by winning ‘Referee of the Year’ by the Aldershot Referees Association in 2005. For his performances in the middle, Steve was then invited by Hampshire F.A. to be fast-track from Level 7 to Level 5 during the 2005-06 season. This meant refereeing a total of 40 men’s matches, two exams and being assessed during six of those matches between September-February of that season. Steve was successful on all fronts. Following this, at the end of the season, Steve was invited to officiate in no less than three cup finals. One of which was as assistant-linesman at a men’s County Cup Final at Andover. Another was refereeing the North East Hants League Cup Under 18s Cup Final at Cove FC. The last of his three finals was a men’s Aldershot & District Divisional Cup Final at Camberley, where Steve was assessed as a referee and received the perfect 10/10 for his performance.

Craig Little qualified as a Referee in 1998 at the age of just 14. Within 2 seasons he had moved from officiating junior games on the North East Hants League to officiating on the Camberley and District Senior League. In 2000 he was awarded The Young Referee of The Year award for his high marks. Following this he was picked up by the FA and following a meeting and assessment he was put onto the panel of young referees for the FA Premier League Academies matches. At the age of 18 he decided to pursue his coaching badges and give refereeing a short break and due to his coaching career he still only manages to officiate on a few games per season.