Limerick plea for refs

Limerick GAA officials have issued a plea to clubs to encourage more members to take up refereeing — or face the prospect of a reduction of games in the county.

The county’s referees administrator, Billy Ahern, admitted yesterday that unless Limerick GAA can recruit new candidates in the near future, they would experience difficulty in finding referees to cover games.

He asked that clubs make a special effort to contact any members who might be interested in taking up refereeing and encourage them to do so.

“Ideally the prospective referee should be between 25 and 40 years of age with some experience of the game. Obviously the traits of honesty and reliability are vital in anybody aspiring to become a referee. We are especially appealing to clubs who currently do not have a referee on the referee’s panel to make an extra effort to encourage suitable candidates. Sometimes all a potential referee needs is a little encouragement from his club.”

A foundation course for potential referees will take place over four nights within the next month.

Names and contact details of potential candidates should be forwarded to 087-9550304.