We'll take action

Jan 26 2008 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FA OFFICIALS have promised to take up concerns over the soccer referees crisis in Huddersfield.

Top officials at the West Riding FA attended a summit meeting in Huddersfield and heard about the dire shortage of referees.

Now they have pledged to come up with ideas to help recruit more and to give more support to existing referees.

The promise came from the County FA’s Referees Development Officer Steve Rhodes, who attended the Huddersfield FA-organised meeting with fellow county official Barry Chadwick.

The pair were given a hard-hitting account of the crisis from Huddersfield referees appointments secretary John Ennis.

His presentation graphically showed the decline in numbers over the last decade – with only 19 referees now available to staff Saturday open-age soccer in Huddersfield and only six on Sundays.

Ennis said: “There are 49 referees registered with the FA for this season but only between 14 and 19 available on Saturdays.

“This is our lowest ever figure and it means that on average, 70% of the games on Saturdays are staffed by volunteers.

“We need to recruit 40 referees annually to cover the shortfall and the loss of active referees. We have to realise there is a problem and an acute shortage.”

But he said in practical terms, that meant that if just 3% of the 1,480 players who turned out each Saturday in Huddersfield took up the whistle it could solve the problem.

Ideas put to Rhodes included organising basic training courses for volunteers who just want to cover local football, rather than progress to higher leagues, and more support for referees to protect them from abuses and threats.

This could mean taking hard action against clubs who transgress.

Rhodes said: “Clubs need to play their part as do the leagues but there is a lot we can do.

“I have been in the post only a few months but I have learned a lot in Huddersfield and I will look at what we can do to address the situation”.