***BAMREF 3rd annual Conference - July 2024 ***
Your Team
Joel Mannix- Chairman
Shelley Alexander- Secretary
Aji Ajibola- Vice Chairman
Joel Mannix is the Chairman and a founding member of BAMREF. Being Level 2B referee, Joel brings a wealth of experience and industry insight to his role from on and off the field.
'When I'm not on the green stuff I run my own security company, looking after celebrities and VIPs and also work as a Paramedic always looking to help.'
Aji Ajibola- Vice Chairman
Shelley Alexander- Secretary
Aji Ajibola- Vice Chairman
Aji Ajibola is Vice Chairman of the BAMREF Support Group and a serving member of the Football Association in a voluntary role. Ali is on the FA Council as a National Game Football Communities Representative. He is an accomplished, highly organised and strategic problem solver, with a history of profound success within commercial and enterprise business environments.
Shelley Alexander- Secretary
Shelley Alexander- Secretary
Darren Lewis - Press Officer & Media Advisor
Shelley Alexander is the Secretary of the BAME Referee Support Group. She helped start the group as part of her outreach partnership work when she worked for BBC Sport. Shelley is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion freelance consultant and also chairs the FA’s Referee for all Group.
Darren Lewis - Press Officer & Media Advisor
Darren Lewis - Press Officer & Media Advisor
Darren Lewis - Press Officer & Media Advisor
Darren Lewis is the Assistant Editor, Columnist and Football Writer at the Daily Mirror. He has been with the publication for 23 years. He is now a co-presenter on Sky Sports News and Talksport and a Senior Sports Analyst on CNN. Darren is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in sports and supports the BAMREF team with their above the line communication strategy.
Phil Sharp- Special Advisor
Darren Lewis - Press Officer & Media Advisor
Val Anekwe- Safeguarding Officer
Phil has been actively refereeing for 40 years and has gone from grassroots football to the highest levels in the game. He has now returned to grassroots officiating.
He was a Premier League Assistant for 18 years and a FIFA Assistant Referee for 13 years, officiating in 180 international matches.
Val Anekwe- Safeguarding Officer
Darren Lewis - Press Officer & Media Advisor
Val Anekwe- Safeguarding Officer
Hi, I am Val Anekwe. Level 3 Ref. I came into refereeing just over 12 years ago through running the line for my now oldest son. Once I took up the whistle, it became addictive and thoroughly enjoyable. It is something I would encourage anyone to do and am now involved in observing, mentoring coaching. Outside of refereeing, I am head of behaviour at a secondary school and a teacher of science.
To relax, I enjoy taking part in quiz completions, travelling (one unfulfilled ambition, is to visit every African country) and I am an avid record collector. The collection ranges from rock, pop, classical to reggae. I have been known to go to different parts of the country buying collections that are unwanted.
Jawahir J Roble MBE- Women's game Officer
Jawahir J Roble MBE- Women's game Officer
Jawahir J Roble MBE- Women's game Officer
I'm Jawahir Roble, a 3W Referee as well as a coach .
I adore football, and I hope that one day it will be available to everyone.
I hold a bachelor's degree in football coaching and management.
Dan Forbes - Design & Media Coordinator
Jawahir J Roble MBE- Women's game Officer
Jawahir J Roble MBE- Women's game Officer
Dan is a secondary school teacher and level 4 referee. Originally from the town Livingston, Scotland, Dan moved south to Carlisle to complete his studies at Cumbria University, studying art, graphics & design. Dan played semi professional football for 8 years in Scotland, for Livingston United. Having suffered a serious leg break in 2017, he played for a further two seasons before deciding to ‘hang up the boots’. Dan say’s, ‘It was a tough decision to stop playing the game I’ve loved and played forever. I knew it was the right time, as risk of injury again could have ended my ability to even run. I had considered being a referee in the past and knew this was the time, I felt ready for a new challenge within the game’.
Dan passed the FA Referee course and has represented the Cumberland FA since 2020. Consecutive promotions have seen him reach level four for season 23/24 and will officiate in the northern counties.
Dan has Joined the BAMREF team, supporting with design, editing and media strategies.
Testimonials
Joel Mannix- Chairman
FA Referee Level 2b
Starting my referee journey in 2009 after Uriah Rennie hung up his whistle I decided that I could follow in his footsteps and become the next best thing, on my journey I found that there were many obstacles that came way but being the individual I am I decided to proceed having been told that level 4 was my highest ceiling I wondered which other BAME refs were having been told the same thing,
Having achieved my level 2b status I wondered how many other refs were finding this journey difficult because of the colour of the skin hence I sat down with some past and present BAME refs shared our stories and hence BAME REF SUPPORT.
When I'm not on the green stuff I run my own security company look after celebrities and VIPs and also work as a Paramedic always looking to help.
BAME refs support within the last 3 years has moved on leaps and bounds with the 3 main Rs
Representation, Recruitment and Retention, I’ve always said I wont referee in the promised land ( premiership) but if we can knock at the doors, break barriers then one day our representation would have paid off.
Aji Ajibola- Vice Chairman
Aji Ajibola is Vice Chairman of the BAME Referee Support Group and a serving member of the Football Association in a voluntary role on the FA Council as a National Game Football Communities Representative. He is an accomplished, highly organized, and strategic problem solver with a history of profound success within commercial and enterprise business environment.
A 20 years serving active referee currently at level 2A, Aji has been involved in spearheading several inclusion and diversity initiatives on multiple platforms to increase awareness and help organizations widen their access to talent pools from BAME backgrounds that will help drive improved culture, productivity, and performance.
He is a passionate leader who creates successful teams and a winning culture through leading by example and through experience.
Phil Sharp- Special Advisor
Phil has been actively refereeing for 40 years and has gone from grassroots football to the highest levels in the game. He has now returned to grassroots officiating.
He was a Premier League Assistant for 18 years and a FIFA Assistant Referee for 13 years, officiating in 180 international matches.
The highlights of his career are the 2002 World Cup Final in Japan between Brazil v Germany, the 2004 Olympic Games Football Final in Athens and the 1999 FA Cup Final at Wembley all as an Assistant Referee.
After retiring from the professional game, Phil became an instructor and worked in Cyprus and Turkey and was UEFA’s AR Coach for EURO 2012 in Poland/Ukraine and EURO 2016 in France.
For the past 12 years Phil was also the Referee Development Officer for Hertfordshire FA up until December 2020 and amassed a wealth of grassroots football refereeing knowledge supporting and developing referees.
He is also an FA Licensed Developer, tutoring on referee courses and developing new referees for the future.
Minesh Gupta- Recruitment Membership Secretary
Minesh is currently a Level 3 CORE Referee.
Minesh spent 16 years in public services serving as a Police Officer and now works as a Consultant, having started a new Career. Minesh is also a school parent governor at Hallam Fields Primary School as Governance is important to him.
Minesh has been a football referee for 26 years. He is also a FA Tutor/Developer and tutors within two disciplines, Refereeing and Safeguarding. Minesh also sits as a National Chair & Wing Member for The FA Judicial Services and adjudicates anti-discrimination serious cases and assaults on Match Officials.
Minesh also supports on all matters concerning Equality in Refereeing and is part of the FA Refereeing for all Group.
Minesh is also a FA Referee Representative at step 3/4 and a Referee Coach in both the mens and womens game.
Minesh has assisted Leicestershire & Rutland County FA in supporting their Referee BAM targets with project related activity focusing on Referee recruitment & retention over the years.
Finally Minesh is also a Match Officials Event Consultant at St Georges Park in supporting the delivery and operations of Football events.