IT IS not just the success on the pitch of Suffolk sides, but also all the work going on off the field of play that county FA chairman Mick Pearce says the county can be proud of.

“We have got a very good team at Suffolk FA led by Phil Knight and a fantastic volunteer workforce in the county.

“For example, what Leiston have done in the last week in achieving their ground grading requirements for promotion has much to do with the volunteer workforce.

“In the last two seasons we have had the most referees promoted to Level 4 nationally of any county, later this month three of our officials have been chosen to go to Denmark on a refereeing exchange, and three officials who have refereed 1,000 matches each are being recognised this month.

“Former Football League officials Kelvin Morton and Trevor Pollard are both still involved in the county.”

On top of that Ipswich official Nick Cooper has just been promoted to the Football League as an assistant referee for next season. Cooper joins an elite group of match officials who will oversee and run the line in matches involving the 92 Football League clubs during the 2012/13 season.

He joins Carl Fitch and Ady Sannerude as Suffolk’s match officials in the Football League.

“Through various schemes Phil Knight and his team are now offering the game to more people, and Suffolk is an extreme success story.

“On the governance side we have halved the size of the Board to seven members and now have two independent directors, and are being held as an exemplary model by the FA,” added Pearce.