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Referee Alan Kelly will finish up with the League of Ireland in the coming weeks. INPHO/Donall Farmer
coming to america

Top ref Alan Kelly calls full time on Airtricity League career for MLS switch

The Corkman will move to America in the new year, he’s confirmed.

IRISH REFEREE ALAN Kelly’s switch to North America’s MLS has been confirmed today.

The Cork native will leave the Airtricity League and FIFA panels at the end of the season to take up a new job as assistant training and development manager with the Professional Referee Organisation (PRO) in the US in the new year.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for me on a professional level. To work with a full-time professional organisation and dedicate my time to refereeing, be it from an education and development perspective or on  the field of play, is something that I have always aspired to and it is an opportunity that myself and my family are very much looking forward to,” said Kelly.

“Leaving the Airtricity League and UEFA (as an International Referee) is something that I had not thought about and it was an incredibly difficult decision to make. However, once I found that this opportunity offers a very different challenge, it would have been a regret that would have followed me around had I not accepted it.”

The 38-year-old has been a FIFA Referee since 2002 and has officiated at Champions League and Europa League games as well as international level.

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