Football-mad Nathan Mattick has given his disability the red-card and become Britain's first wheelchair-bound referee.<br /><br />Read more at SWNS.com<br /><br /><br />The 19-year-old was born with cerebral palsy which left him unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair.<br /><br />But he was determined not to let the condition stop him and set about making his dreams of becoming a referee reality.<br /><br />His hard work has seen him become Britain's first official ref in a wheelchair and he now regularly takes charge of games for both able-bodied and disabled players.<br /><br />Nathan officiates indoors and out, on hard all-weather surfaces which are suited to his electric wheelchair.<br /><br />Nathan, from Cheltenham, Glos., said: "I was so nervous the first time I refereed at a game.<br /><br />"I thought the players and managers would give me a hard time because I was in a chair and they would question why I was refereeing able-bodied football.<br /><br />"But I had no problems. People with disabilities can do what able-bodied people do. We just do it in a different way. I have cerebral palsy but that doesn't mean I can't do things.<br /><br />"It's important you respect every single person whether they have a disability or not. We can all contribute to this world.
