Veteran South African referee, Jerome Damon, has decided to hang up his whistle and step down from his position on SAFA's National Panel of Match Officials.
In a statement released by SAFA, Damon said, "After a very long introspection, prayer and consultation, I have decided to call an end to my active duty on the SAFA national panel of match officials after having first made my rookie appearance in the 1996/7 season.
Damon, who was Referee of the Season in the 2004/05 and 2008/09 seasons, made his debut in the 1996/97 PSL campaign, spending 18 years in the game, and had the pleasure of refereeing at the 2010 World Cup.
Speaking about his experiences, the FIFA referee said, "I have certainly enjoyed every single moment of serving on this county's highest panel as, first, an assistant referee and then, as a referee. I have made many friends along the way and cherish numerous memories - certainly too many to accurately document here. But the most memorable one is being able to represent South Africa on many international tournaments around the world, the climax of course, being the 2010 FIFA World Cup, right here in South Africa.
"I want to thank everyone involved in forming my refereeing career from my late dad through to every assessor and commissioner (locally and internationally). I especially want to thank the SAFA President and the NEC for rubber-stamping every opportunity that I was given."
The Capetonian ref says he will now be focusing on other aspects of his life, concluding by saying, "With the ending of one chapter, comes the opportunity to write another. I do believe that there is still a lot for me to do in the refereeing world and I look forward to the next challenge, the next opportunity to serve. Football has left an indelible mark on my life and I hope that in some small way I have left a mark in its books."
