A referee from the Toolstation NCEL took charge of a major final at the Iber Cup that took place in Portugal last week.

David Jones, from Lincolnshire, was in the middle for the Under 16s Final in the tournament in Estoril after being named the top referee there out of 143 officials from over thirty countries.

The game, between Chivas Guadalajara from Mexico and Norway's Bodo Glimt, was played in front of a large crowd in the stadium of CD Estori Praia who play in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Jones said: "Leading the teams out onto the field of play to the Champions League music was a once in a lifetime experience!

"My team consisted of officials from Italy, Hungary and Holland and together we worked seamlessly to control the match.

"The atmosphere at the stadium was terrific and the standard of football certainly did not disappoint.

"Chivas won the game 2-0 but the final was always close enough, flowing from end to end.

"As I blew the final whistle, the realisation of my achievement began to sink in.

"It was an honour to represent Lincolnshire FA, England and the Northern Counties East Football League at an international tournament and the memories will stay with me for a lifetime."

He continued: "The Iber Cup tournament was a superbly run event for both match officials and players.

"The standard of football across all age groups was phenomenal and all the games were a test of your refereeing ability.

"Every match venue was impressive and must surely be the envy of many countries across the world."

Jones was one of four referees from Lincolnshire FA and, in the area covered by the NCEL, West Riding, North Riding and Nottinghamshire were also represented.

Every referee came home raring to go for the new season and the preparation before games, teamwork and strong body language to communicate were key factors they will use in the future to develop.

Jones added: "We learnt that supporting our colleagues through the good and bad decisions made us all stronger and determined to be the best."

All of the referees were supported by an international team of assessors, including NCEL assessors Mick Beverley and David Fuller.