IAFOA referee, Michael Smith (pictured with white cap), has been appointed to the officiating crew for the EuroBowl Final. EuroBowl XXV will take place in Innsbruck, Austria on June 18th 2011. The finalists are the defending Euro Bowl Champions, Berlin Adler and Austrian team Tyrolean Raiders. The EuroBowl is the American football equivalent of soccers Champions League. It features the best professional teams from across the continent selected from Europes elite domestic leagues. The game will be televised live, kick-off 8:30 local time (see www.eurobowl.info for further details).
Michael Smith is one of three Irish officials who are on the European Federation list for International club and national team competitions. He has officiated in several high profile European ties in recent years. In Ireland, he officiates in the IAFL most weekends and has refereed several Shamrock Bowl finals. As with the Superbowl in the US, the neutral officials appointed to the EuroBowl earn the honour due to outstanding performances in previous European ties. Mr. Smith is the third IAFOA official to officate in the EuroBowl final, following in the footsteps of Steve Stacher (1980s) and Veikko Laminsalo (2002).