But the 40-year-old, who lives in Whissendine, is quite literally having a ball.

"I love it – I thrive on the pressure of refereeing," said Trevor. "People always ask me why I do it because of some of the abuse we can receive.

"It is a real mental and physical challenge controlling a game in front of 30, 40 or 50,000 people and a television audience of millions but I genuinely enjoy it.

"I am my own boss in the RAF so I can schedule work around whichever matches I have to referee."

Trevor took up refereeing in 1983. He worked his way up through the lower leagues until he made the national list for assistant referees (linesman as most people still know them) 15 years later.

A year after running the line at the 2002 Worthington Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff – when Tottenham played Blackburn Rovers in front of 80,000 people – he was promoted to the national list of referees.

Trevor is now officiating at Championship and League One fixtures and is also a fourth official at Premiership matches.

"We find out each Monday which game we will be taking the following weekend," said Trevor, who spent two years stationed at RAF Cottesmore before being posted to a base in Gloucestershire.

"It is always nice to have an element of surprise. I prefer not knowing where I am going to be refereeing the next week because it allows you to focus on the match you are doing that week rather than thinking ahead to a more glamorous fixture."

On Saturday, Trevor refereed Burnley's Championship clash with Crystal Palace. This season he has controlled Charlton v Scunthorpe, Wolves v Blackpool and Luton Town's shock Carling Cup defeat of Sunderland.

Trevor was interviewed on television following the Charlton game to explain a contentious decision.

He said: "I am all up for that because I think we should have the opportunity to explain ourselves after a match just as players and managers do.

"We show we are human and I am sure people accept it more, especially if we have made a mistake during the match.

"People think we are hiding but the truth is that we are not very often invited to give interviews by the media.

"We get a DVD or a video of every game we officiate in. The first few years I was doing matches I was quite anal about it and I would analyse everything.

"Nine out of 10 times we do get it right. There are far more big decisions made correctly than incorrectly."

Trevor has to keep his nerve when he is out in the middle and often when he retreats to the dressing room when a manager or player is eager to ask him why someone was sent off or why he gave a penalty.

"You are fully aware of the more difficult characters in the game," he said.

"With experience you learn to manage them accordingly during a match.

"I personally do not have vendettas with any players or managers – I referee it how I see it on the day."

Relaxing with his family is important to Trevor. He is married to Rutland schoolteacher Debbie and the couple have three children aged under 10.

Trevor is clearly a football fan. He played at a good standard until he was 26 but realised he would never make the grade as a professional. Instead he realised his dreams of running out in front of thousands of fans with a whistle in his hand.

"It has become more and more professional and officials are a lot fitter but they have to be with the pace of the game," he pointed out.

"I am 40 now and the next step is to become a Premiership referee and if not I will have another nine seasons in the football league before I hit the retirement age for officials."

Despite the pressure of it all there have been some light moments in Trevor's refereeing career.

"I remember doing a game at Scunthorpe in my first season. This Canadian goose suddenly landed on the pitch. It was a real beast. It delayed the re-start by six or seven minutes while the stewards chased it and the Rochdale goalie unsuccessfully tried to grab it," he chuckled.

Fewer people are training as referees and assistant referees and that obviously worries Trevor. But he has no hesitation in recommending it to others.

"I would encourage anyone else to take up refereeing," he said. "If someone wants to progress to the professional leagues they need to take the exam at the age of about 14. "I realise it is hard for a young kid to decide not to kick a ball around anymore and take up refereeing instead but it is a very enjoyable career."