I t is just past midday on Wednesday and after Mr Blue Sky plays over a montage of talking points from a busy Easter weekend of matches in the Terry Venables Room at St George’s Park, 19 referees and 30 assistant referees are plugged into the words of Kevin Friend, the select group two Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) manager. An hour earlier the referees were hurtling up and down the grass, honing their acceleration and sprint techniques in the first session of the two-day training camp at the Football Association’s sprawling national hub. “There is a lot to play for in the coming weeks,” Friend says, “and they are also really big games for us.”