How Gomes keeps sane off the field
PSL Ref of the Season unbowed by criticism
Recently crowned Referee of the Season Victor Gomes turns to his plastic bottle manufacturing company to keep his mind away from all the criticism he endures on the field of play.
The Fifa-accredited match official runs VM Bottle Printers and Fillers, alongside partner Hugo Alegre.
Even though he may be earning some good money from his business, the 35-yearold reiterated that his love for the game is unmatched. Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has been one of Gomes’s fiercest critics, going as far as calling him an “attention seeker”.
This was after Gomes sent off Mosimane during Sundowns’ 1-0 win over Cape Town City in February.
Gomes, though, has taken it on his chin and insisted he’s in the game to stay. “You know malome [uncle], if you know what you are doing is right, let people talk,” he said.
It was a “tough” season, admitted Gomes, who pocketed R50 000 for being voted the PSL’s best match official.
“It’s been a tough season, but I take this award on behalf of all the referees in the country, from junior all the way to senior,” said Gomes, who has been an international referee since 2011. Gomes has been a PSL referee since 2008, having came through the amateur ranks. And this is the second time he’s named Referee of the Season after his success in the 2012/13 season.
Gomes also paid tribute to his wife Vanessa and his family for their support.