A PREMIER League referee is lined up as the guest speaker at an open-to-all County Durham meeting next month.

Referee Jon Moss will attend the Bishop Auckland Referees’ Association gathering on Thursday, November 17, in the town.

One of the Premier League’s 17 Select Group referees, the 45-year-old lives in West Yorkshire but was born in Sunderland and qualified as a referee in 1988.

He was promoted to the Select Group in 2011 after working his way through the Northern Counties East and Northern Premier Leagues.

Mr Moss was promoted to the Football League Referee list in 2005 and in 2015 refereed the FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Terry Farley MBE, secretary of Bishop Auckland Referees’ Association, said: “We are very much looking forward to Jon visiting us and hope to have a good turnout to hear about Jon’s career and his experiences officiating in the Premier League.

“Everyone is welcome to come along – whether you’re a current or retired referee or simply someone who enjoys football and would like to hear about the experiences of one of our top flight officials.”

There is free entry to the meeting at The Manor Public House, on Cornwall Road, which will start at 7pm.