All Ireland tickets to be distributed to referees

[Lecale2]

From the Down Recorder

Tickets fine for clubs
MONAGHAN County Board has come up with a great way to punish those clubs who do not supply referees for games within the county. Offending clubs will lose their allocation of All-Ireland football and hurling tickets, which will be distributed among the active service referees who take charge of at least a stipulated number of games before August 31 each year. Last year at least four clubs in Down did not have one whistler. Seven had just one referee while several others had a referee in name only.

Shortage of referees is a real problem in many counties. Having a "referee in name only" is a good way out of the problem for some clubs. You get a lad to do the course but then he's never available to ref matches because of other committments. At least you can say your club has supplied a ref & it keeps the Board off your back.

[johnneycool]

Lecale,
   do the Down referees get a ticket from the county board as long as they referee at least 10 games in a year? You probably have to pay for them though in a similar manner to the players being 'given' two tickets.

[Lecale2]

That's right JC. 10 games by end of August and you play for it. Just one of the many perks.

[Silky]

It can be hard enough getting anyone to ref in a samall rural club where most of the committee are already coaches, county borad delegates and even players. I don't think the smaller clubs should be penalised in this way. Things must be bad on the ref front in Monaghan if the clubs voted to bring this in.