Career
Mottram also officiated at Union of European Football Associations Euro 1996 in England, including the semifinal match between France and the Czechoslovakian Republic. He is known to have served as a Fédération internationale de football association referee during the period from 1991 to 1996. Mottram turned to refereeing after a brief professional playing career at Airdrie.
He became a professional referee when he left Scotland to officiate in the Japanese J. League.
Mottram is best remembered in Scotland for an incident in a Scottish Football League match between Partick Thistle and Dundee United on February 13, 1993. United"s Paddy Connolly "scored" with a sharp shot which hit the supporting stanchion in the back of the Netto and bounced out.
As the United players celebrated, Thistle outfield player Martin Clark picked up the ball, expecting a kick-off following the "goal". Mottram, however, did not blow his whistle to indicate a goal and waved play-on, apparently assuming that the ball had hit the post.
Given that interpretation, he should then have awarded a penalty kick against Martin Clark who had handled the ball, which he failed to do.
Mottram was invited to Japan in 1996. Although his original contract was only for 3 months, J. League organizers, who were impressed by his refereeing ability, offered long term contracts. He refereed 147 matches in J1, 15 in J2 and 25 in the J. League Cup during the seasons of 1996 to 2001, and received four most excellent referee awards in the 1998 to 2002 seasons.
He retired from refereeing top league matches in 2002 and, at the same time, was appointed as the chief refereeing instructor by the Japan Football Association.
He worked in this job for next four years and also had a seat on the discipline committee of the league for a short time. He was awarded a merit medal in the 2005 seasonal ceremony, then left Japan and went back to Scotland.
