SOUTHAMPTON teenager Emma Nuttall has a sporting ambition far higher than many of her peers - she wants to referee in the men's football World Cup!

And the 15-year-old has a bright future ahead of her if she continues to progress.

Emma, pictured, was one of the young referees taking charge of the Hampshire Youth Games football tournament, but she wasn't the youngest - that honour fell to 14-year-old Bournemouth lad Luke Reilly.

Games organisers were keen to ensure that as well as giving county youth a chance to play sport, there was also the opportunity to officiate and administrate it.

Emma passed her first referees' exams last summer and in 2002/03 refereed Saints academy youth matches on a Sunday morning.

"It's all good experience," she said. "It's definitely competitive - especially the boys, the tackles come flying in at times.

"I do get a bit of dissent now and again, but it doesn't bother me.

"I took refereeing up because I wanted to do something a bit different.

"My ambition is to referee in the men's World Cup, if women are allowed to ever referee in it, and we should be."

Hampshire FA chief executive Lawrence Jones was watching the football tournament and said: "I hope Emma keeps it going - she's got great potential and could make a successful career out of refereeing.

"It's all down to confidence."

In the girls rugby tag competition on the nearby pitches, the referees were again all teenagers.

The oldest official was 17-year-old Peter Coulthard from Warsash and the youngest 14-year-olds Liz Holden, from Hindhead, and Matt Poore from Basingstoke.

Nigel Spencer, the county RFU referees development officer, said: "We do have a shortage of referees at senior level and hopefully by guiding these youngsters along that will help the situation in years to come.

"Most of the young officials are players themselves, and if it helps them to learn the laws for when they're playing so much the better.

"Refereeing is a lonely life - we need to find people with the right mental attitude.

"You do need a thickness of hide and a deafness of ear!"

See today's Daily Echo for more reports and pictures from the Hampshire Youth Games.