UCFB is delighted to announce that former Premier League referee Chris Foy and Fleetwood Town’s Head of Communications William Watt will be talking to students this week as part of the Executive Guest Speaker Series.

Foy, who officiated in England’s top league for 14 years, and William, who joined Fleetwood this summer, will appear at UCFB Wembley and UCFB Etihad Campus respectively on Wednesday 16th November.

Chris Foy

Former Premier League referee Foy officiated over 650 professional matches during his established career, including over 250 games in the Premier League.
His career officiating in the Football League began in 1994 as an assistant, before a year later moving up to the Premier League, also as an assistant. His first refereeing role came in 1996 when he moved back to the Football League where he spent five years officiating through the divisions.

In 2001, he was promoted to the elite referees list and the Premier League, where he then spent the next 14 years of his career before retiring in 2015. Foy is now a senior referees’ coach for the Professional Game Match Officials Board, working under Howard Webb.

Highlights from his career include taking charge of the 2010 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Portsmouth, the 2009 League Cup final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and the Community Shield final the same year between United again and Chelsea.

William Watt

A lifelong Blackpool FC fan, William progressed to The Lancashire Evening Post upon graduating. In 2009 he moved to the Blackpool Gazette and witnessed Blackpool’s incredible rise to the Premier League. Things quickly turned sour though with the club suffering three relegations. Fans went to war with owners the Oyston family and Will was severely caught up in the crossfire.
As a consequence, he was banned from the club by the owners. His banishment lasted 15 months, but he still had to produce back page stories on a daily basis, forging a reputation as one of the region’s most fearless and diligent journalists.

In the summer of 2016 he took up a position at Fleetwood Town as Head of Media and Football Operations.