Today, Ontario Soccer is pleased to announce the appointment of David Barrie to the position of Match Official Development Manager after a highly selective recruitment process.

"I’m excited to get started! I’ve been fortunate to have had many incredible experiences with refereeing, and it feels fantastic to start the next chapter in my career," David says. "The skills I have gained will assist the next generation of Match Officials within Ontario."

David has been a National Match Official since 2010, officiating in Major League Soccer (MLS), the Canadian Premier League (CPL), and 20 National tournaments. He is trained and certified as an MLS Video Assistant Referee. David is an active member of the Professional Referee Organization and attends quarterly training camps to continue growing his knowledge and skillset. David has further demonstrated his commitment to Match Official Development through his work with Canada Soccer’s Next Generation program. David announced his retirement from national and professional level officiating on October 1, 2023.

Currently, David leads the Ontario Soccer NextGen program which prepares Ontario Match Officials for Canada Soccer Nomination or for their next level of officiating on the Talented Pathway - providing education, feedback and coaching support for the next generation of officials. He has also been instrumental in supporting Ontario Soccer programming and leads by example with dignity and professionalism.

Outside of Match Officiating, David also has had a successful career in business. He has held multiple management positions in marketing, sales, and account development with companies like 21st Century Fox Home Entertainment Canada and Electro Source. Through his professional work, David has sharpened skills in strategic leadership, problem solving, and attention to detail which will prove vital when serving as Ontario Soccer’s Match Official Development Manager.

"We have a lot of high-quality match officials in Ontario," David says. "My aim in this role is to give them the tools to go to the next level and beyond!" 

The Match Official Development Manager position was vacant following Nicky Pearson’s promotion to Director of Member Services earlier this year, following a strategic organizational adjustment to Ontario Soccer Executive Management Team.

Some projects David looks forward to working on include supporting, developing, and providing more opportunities for female Match Officials, and to grow the number of Ontario Soccer officials featured in the CPL and the National program.

"Before that can happen, we need to focus on the recruitment and retention of Match Officials at the grass roots level," David explains.

David can be reached at: dbarrie@ontariosoccer.net, (905) 264-9390 x232.