UP, UP AND AWAY!
A dual job – Treasurer and Membership
Secretary – and for me, a dual pleasure. Firstly, relieving you of your
membership fee each year for the very best of causes … a flourishing
association in which each member has a voice … and secondly, taking great
delight, along with the rest of the committee, in watching so many of you
progressing through the ranks at a speed of knots!
This has been a truly remarkable season
with five Spartan South Midlands referees floating up, up and away to
Contributory Level football and a goodly host of others ready and willing to
take their place with so many well earned promotions to Level 4. Lots of new
5s and 6s too, which is a great tribute to the League and especially to Mick
Ewen, our indefatigable Appointments Secretary and Tony Weight who has done
such a fantastic job coordinating all those assessments.
No other Feeder League in the country
has been able to match our results … so to all of you – the new Level 3s
right down to the newest Level 7 recruit … well done … you have made us all
so proud of your achievements.
Our membership now stands at an all
time record of 185, this at a time when referee societies around the country
are reporting huge downturns in membership. I thank you for such wonderful
support. I see the establishment of a vibrant body of referees as an
essential part of my role. Remember the more members we have, the bigger the
collective voice when it comes to representing the Association’s views.
Your response has been duly noted by
those who administer our League and they in turn, have shown they take your
views seriously by making the effort to attend our meetings and listening to
your concerns.
Six pounds a year is not much to ask –
just a fraction of one match fee. What do you get for your money? Well, this
website for a start where you can catch up with all the latest League and
Association news as well as a wealth of information about clubs and their
contact details. In this connection, I would like to pay tribute to Jake
Hillier who has taken on the role of Web Master from Perry Gascoine. Jake is
devoting a huge amount of time to making the site attractive, newsworthy and
user friendly. So please make use of this excellent facility. And don’t miss
the
Bill Scholes newsletter which is updated every week.
The Association holds three meetings
during the season attended by keynote speakers and League officials. Here
you can have any issues or concerns addressed and there is also an
opportunity to purchase League ties and badges so that you can look smart on
match days. We also award trophies to clubs whose sportsmanship and
hospitality help make refereeing a more satisfying experience.
The Referees’ Appointments Secretary,
Mick Ewen, is a staunch supporter of the Association and urges everyone to
join. So if you haven’t already done so, DON’T DELAY, SIGN UP TODAY!
Let’s make every effort to attend the
Association’s final meeting of the season which is also the AGM. It’s being
held at Colney Heath FC on Thursday 22nd May at 7.45 for a sharp
8pm start. WE HAVE PULLED OFF A REMARKABLE COUP WITH OUR GUEST
SPEAKER. CHECK THE
HOME PAGE NOW TO REVEAL HIS IDENTITY. OUR FAMOUS
PERSONALITY IS MAKING A SPECIAL EFFORT IN A HUGELY BUSY TIMETABLE TO JOIN
US. SO PLEASE ENSURE YOU’RE THERE TO GIVE HIM THE WARMEST OF WELCOMES!
Finally, please check the Association
Membership List below. If your name’s missing, it means we are WAITING FOR
YOU!
