A newly-qualified teenage referee is hoping to emulate former top referee, George Courtney, and become a World Cup whistle-blower.

Fourteen-year-old Callum Askew of Spennymoor has followed his former headmaster at Ox Close Primary School in qualifying to become a referee, although, at just 13, Askew has done it eight years earlier than Courtney did.

Late last year Callum became a bona fide man in black and has already officiated three junior fixtures which have given him the taste for more action.

His goal is something the respected Courtney achieved in both 1986 and 1990, officiating the France versus Belgium third place play-off in Mexico and keeping an eye on Gianluca Vialli and co in 1990 when referring host nation, Italy when they played Uruguay.

Callum, now aged 14 and a pupil at Tudhoe Grange Comprehensive, took charge of his first game in December which was played between boys a year older, but that didn't deter the Sunderland season ticket holder.

"I was very nervous before my first game," admitted Callum whose baptism was a 9-1 win for Spennymoor under-15s against Hetton under-15s. "But I haven't really had much abuse so far and George has just told me to stick in.

"I want to be a referee in the World Cup, that's what I'd like to do eventually."

Courtney's days as a top-flight official ended when he hung up his whistle in May 1992, and now works for Middlesbrough FC in their education department while he works with referees on matchdays, a role which saw him at Sunderland on Saturday.

He is full of admiration for the youngster's ambition, saying: "I would love him to be Spennymoor's World Cup representative at a World Cup in around 20 years time and that I'm still around to observe it.

"I will give him all the advice he'll ever need. I once got a bit of advice from Lawrie McMenemy and he said to me 'Make haste, slowly', and I've never forgotten that.

"That's the same bit of advice I'd give to Callum. Enjoy it at grassroots level because it should fun, he's only a bairn himself. And he should keep playing as well, that's very important. I kept playing once I'd started referring - not in the same game though!"