Wanted referees and coaches
New blood to referee and coach football thoughout Mayo is being called for.
At the annual general meeting of the Mayo Football League, held at Milebush Park, chairman Padraig McHale said: “As we all know, without the man or woman in the middle there would be no games. Like all teams or squads, the referees need new blood and we are making a special call, along with the (Mayo) referees' branch, for each club to actively seek out people who would have a genuine interest in taking up this role.
“There are many support mechanisms now in place to help new and young referees. Damien McGrath’s achievements are the perfect example of the opportunities that exist in the world of refereeing when it is approached in the correct way.”
Present at the meeting were referees’ assessor Jimmy Blake plus Damien McGrath and Martin Halligan, chairman and secretary respectively of the Mayo Branch of the Irish Soccer Referees' Society.
Mayo Football League secretary John Durkan explained that to enhance the relationship between the league and the referees, there will be a referees' presentation night in the coming weeks at which the league will honour referees who officiated at the cup finals in 2014.
Mr. Durkan added: “While we honour our present referees, the shortage of match officials is of huge concern to the league. Clubs must realise that recruitment of referees must be a priority. It is possible this season that we will only be able to appoint one official to some Super League matches.”
Meanwhile, the call for coaches is less immediate given the numbers who have obtained certificates in the past few years, as Mr. Durkan explained: “During the past few months, in order to prepare for the new season, we held a Senior Introductory coaching course which was attended by 23 coaches from this league to add to the 48 who completed the course in 2011 and 2012. When we include these with over 20 who have attained the Youth Cert coaching status and higher we should be well equipped going forward.”
If you fancy getting involved in football as a referee, the Mayo Branch of the Irish Soccer Referees' Society is currently seeking expressions of interest from suitable candidates to complete a beginners' course. The course is usually held over two days and a minimum of 10 people are required for it to go ahead. Candidates must be 16 or over. For more information, contact Damien McGrath by email at dmacgraith.dmcg@gmail.com.