Sportsround meets Steve Bennett

Along with 22 players giving their all at the FA Cup Final on Saturday, there will be one more man running up and down that famous Wembley pitch - the referee.

Steve Bennett is the man on a mission to uphold fair play between Chelsea and Manchester United. It's a tough job but he's proud to be the man to do it. And Sportsround caught up with him ahead of the game.

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Do you have to swot up before the FA Cup?

No - you treat it exactly as any other game really. Yes - it's the pinnacle of the season - but the laws of the game don't change, everything's exactly the same. It's doing what you do week in, week out, for another weekend. There's no real extra swotting-up needed.

You can only referee the final once though, so it's a huge honour to have that bestowed on you - I'm thoroughly excited about the occasion! It's every referee's dream - and it's been mine since I started refereeing - 23 years ago.

Do you ever find some teams are easier to ref than others?

I think a lot of it comes from the management. There are different styles of manager in the different leagues - and that comes down through the team and the players play in that spirit. Every team is different - it's up to the ref to use their skills - it's the challenge of refereeing.

Can you tell before a match, looking at the team sheets, if you've got to be extra strict?

I don't think it matters who is there - you may look at the team sheets but people you may think will cause you problems may not and those you think are angels might cause trouble. You've got to expect the unexpected and never pre-judge.

How do refs train?

We prepare thoroughly and train every day. We meet as a group of refs every fortnight for physical training and we have lectures and speak to sports psychologists.

There's a ref shortage - what would you say to someone who fancies being a ref one day?

It'd be great - it's important to encourage people to reach their goals. There are many referee academies cropping up now - and there are lots of places for kids to try refereeing in a safe environment. It's a proper career.

What's the best thing about being a ref?

Meeting so many people and travelling - you don't know where you'll end up next and you go to countries you'd never think of going on holiday!

Who do you support?

Crystal Palace - but you're not allowed to referee your favourite team. You have to declare any interest you have in certain clubs every year.

Do you ever look at a replay and think: 'Oh no! I got it wrong!?'

Refs always make an honest decision from the position they're in. I'm not going to beat 23 cameras around a stadium - and I'll never have the view from behind the goal. I will always call things as I see them. Twenty two players could have a different opinion - and 50,000 fans will shout for their team - it's all part of the game and I have to manage all those emotions. I do make an honest decision -if you make a mistake you have to learn from that.

Does it hurt when people criticise you though?

It could get under your skin if you let it... But put it this way - I'm not going to lose sleep over it. We're the guardians of fair play and it's up to us to make sure fair play is in existence for the whole 90 minutes of the game.