‘Referees are unbelievably scarce’

‘AT the moment, referees are unbelievably scarce,’ were the words Wicklow County Chairman used to begin the appeal to clubs in Wicklow to send forward candidates to become referees in the county.

Martin Fitzgerald lamented the fact that at the present time outside referees were being widely used the county because native officials cannot be found after the stepping away of numerous high profile and talented referees such as Ciaran Manley and Matt Dowling to name just two.

‘We just can’t get referees,’ said Fitzgerald, who added that officials for underage games are not too bad in terms of availability but that at Senior level it is now a major problem.

‘We have to appeal to the clubs. At the moment, we are bringing in referees from all over the country, all over neighbouring counties. We just have to get the appeal out to clubs. It’s not an easy task to referee, but we will have no games, we will have games called off, at juvenile level at the moment that’s what’s happening all over the place.

‘We have to appeal to the clubs to ask ex-players to come in, lads who are finishing up in their careers or even lads who are still playing,’ he added.

There was also an appeal for more match stewards from the top table at the County Board meeting in Ballinakill on Monday night.

Wicklow county secretary Chris O’Connor expressed the County Board’s gratitude to the match stewards who worked so hard at the recent qualifier clash with Cavan in Joule Park Aughrim before adding that more stewards were needed for the club championship.

‘‘We want to thank you for your time and to say that it was very much appreciated,’ said Chris O’Connor to match stewards.