Lockdown rough on referees too, says Wolves fan Oliver Langford

Wolves’ stars have followed tailored programmes from home, using exercise bikes and resistance bands ahead of returning to individual training at Compton this coming Monday.

And it turns out officials have been doing something very similar – working to the advice of sports scientists and being given the appropriate equipment.

Wolves-fan-turned-Championship-referee Oliver Langford, just like the players, has had to maintain his fitness and been wearing heart rate monitors and tracking devices – leaving no room for slacking.

Langford, who grew up watching Wolves at Molineux and has now been refereeing professionally for four years, explained: “It’s being creative. We have sports scientists who look after us, and we have training programmes given to us.

“We have heart monitors and GPS units, so they can monitor us during the week.

“Then every two weeks, we would normally get together at St George’s Park (England’s training base).

“So, since all this started, they sent us a plan at first to keep us ticking over, and then when it became apparent that it wasn’t going to be a quick return, they gave us a bit of an end-of-season break, if you like.

“That was for two to three weeks, and then we were sent new programmes to follow from home.”

Langford, who has relocated to Blackpool, was the man in the middle for Chelsea v Leicester in the Premier League earlier this campaign, too.

He was scheduled to be the fourth official, but had to step into the breach when the referee who was originally down for the game, Graham Scott, got stuck in traffic on the M40.

On keeping himself in shape during the outbreak, Langford added: “It’s weight exercises and also some running exercises to do, and I’m quite fortunate that I’m near the beach so I can get out on the sand or the promenade and do stuff. We’re having regular video calls, too, but you can’t replicate the gym and can’t replicate the football field – especially when you’ve got the homeschooling on top.

“It’s a case of keeping yourself ticking over, so when they say ‘this is what will happen’ we are in a condition where we can get back like the players are. It’s no different from what the players are doing, really.”

Langford started refereeing in his teens, picking up a bit of pocket money, before getting his big break in 2016.

“I started refereeing when I was 15, but I’ve been part of the Select Group 2 Championship referees for four seasons now,” he said.

“I got promoted to the Football League back in 2008, and then when this group came about four seasons ago, they decided to make 18 referees from the Football League full time.

“It was from a health and safety point of view, and the Championship wanted more professional referees, so it became a full-time job and it’s gone well – although at times like this, it’s a concern.

“I grew up being a Wolves fan but came up to Blackpool to live a few years ago.

“I live up here now but still keep in touch with everything that goes on, getting to Wolves whenever I can.

“It’s a nice job to have. It carries its trials and tribulations at times.

“But when you first start, you don’t see it becoming a career, which is what it’s become now.”

As a bit of fun during lockdown, Langford put together his ‘Wolves lockdown XI’ by gathering any items in ‘garage or the garden’ he could find and, with a play on words, link them to Wolves players.

For example, ‘Trowel Jimenez’ was up front in Langford’s team.

And while it was a bit of fun that kept him occupied for a bit, it is fair to say Langford is longing for football’s return.

“Definitely. We want to get back as we all love football and want it to be back,” he said.

“But we can’t detract from what’s going on, so when we come back, we want it to be safe.

“It would be great to be back to normal, but, unfortunately, we are in this predicament and there’s a lot more going on in the country.

“I think people are getting scratchy feet and itchy fingers, though, and want to get back out there again.”