MICHAEL R. PETERS
BEDFORD & DISTRICT SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
League Trained Referee Scheme
Season 2008/09
NEXT L.T.R COURSE
Saturday 16th August 2008 9am
VENUE
KEMPSTON LIBERAL CLUB
Off Halsey Road , Kempston
Contact Number CLIVE MILTON 01234-273893
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Russ Maddox - League Secretary, 11th November 2007
Season 2007/08
The League held two further courses for the training of club LTR's on Saturday 8th September 2007 and 10th November 2007.
The training was informal, albeit it has a serious agenda, and concentrated on the various aspects linked to the general overall enjoyment of refereeing, and dealt with the situation of officiating in a game on the day rather than a serious study of football laws - albeit the rules obviously formed part of the morning.
After these two latest course's it means that all Divisions (except the Premier) has an 'official' league trained referee - It is not intended to extend the scheme to the Premier Division.
It is worth remembering that the League makes every endeavour to cover all matches, but on some occasions if the League is unable to appoint a qualified referee, then it is on these occasions when the club LTR will be required to stand in as a 'substitute' referee.
The rules of the League require that a substitute referee MUST stand in if there is no official referee available on match days in any case, so the League takes the view that at least some basic training will be useful to stand in as the official.
Remember all games MUST STILL be played if no referee is available.
In these circumstances the LTR will be covered by the appropriate club's player insurance.
The LTR scheme is, never has been, and never will be, a scheme to replace the officially trained career referee which is open to any candidate who may wish to take up the career referee's course (Beds FA) - In fact it is hoped that once an LTR referee's a match, and takes a liking to doing a game, may well consider taking up the whistle to become a career referee.
The LTR course instructors were Clive Milton (Referees' Secretary), Hugh Elliott (Fixture Secretary), and were assisted by Alf Bone (Administration Support Officer).
Season 2006/07
Throughout the 2006/2007 season the League continued to extend its’ plan that each team, other than the premier division, should have their own LTR.
Faced with the continual situation regarding the shortage of career referees the League was still faced with solving the shortfall. With the support of its member clubs the competition was able to ensure that at least the clubs had a person available on match days with some knowledge, to stand in if the League were unable to appoint an official referee.
With the rules allowing for a “substitute” referee being allowed to take the middle, it proved that by having an LTR at least the stand official had undertaken some basic training to assist him/her on the day. If the club’s LTR was used they were covered by the club’s insurance.
Many referees, in fact many more than in previous seasons, had taken the courses organised by the Bedfordshire Football Association, but in the main they were very young referees who undertook youth matches, and very few adults had actually sat the courses.
Most of those young referees were often lost to refereeing once they became older, still leaving reduced coverage throughout the adult game.
With the 2006/07 continued introduction of the League’s LTR scheme, at least people were introduced to refereeing, and it was hoped that once undertaking a competitive match that some “substitutes” may take up the whistle by enlisting for the “career path” to become officially trained officials.
In fact the League scheme was extended to another Sunday League Competition (North Home Counties, Luton) and our own League officials actually attending and carrying out the training on behalf of that competition. It is understood that the Luton League is also considering extending the use of “home trained referees”.
The scheme was the idea of League Secretary Russ Maddox, who saw an opportunity to try and encourage club officials etc not only to take up the whistle to ensure match cover, but also in the hope that it may prompt those stand in officials in becoming a fully qualified referee.
Mr Maddox explained “The scheme is not, and never was, seen as an alternative to the proper career course, it was really an attempt to cover games with people having at least some basic understanding of the laws of the game, and in the hope that they may take a liking to refereeing and then join the full FA training course”.
Mr Maddox continued “With the shortage of referees still being one of the games biggest problems something just had to be done to ensure that local people could still enjoy football, and the LTR scheme was a modest attempt at filling the shortfall.
“With various FA surveys suggesting that the referee shortage was causing Leagues to actually reduce in size, and with players not wanting to play without referees, it was difficult to see what else could be done to get more referees”
“My League, Mr Maddox explained, had been at the forefront of many initiatives, poster campaigns, writing to over 500 retired players. Advertising at schools, police stations, and fire stations were a few ideas undertaken along with referee of the years awards, free invites to presentation evenings, and special functions for referees only”.
“Over the years adverts had been placed in shop windows, factory canteens, college restaurants, post offices, and no stone was left unturned to try and promote new recruits to take up the whistle, but by far the only real response was for club’s to do it for themselves”.
The League applauded the continued efforts made by the Bedfordshire Football Association whose training was second to none throughout the Country, but although training many younger referees the shortage of adult candidates prevails.
The LTR scheme will be extended once again across the lower five division for the 2007/08 season, whilst hoping that there may be a break through with an increase in the number of adult recruits to the career trained referee – But don’t hold you breath!
Season 2005/06
The League has recently completed its first course for League Trained Referees (LTR). The course was held over a two week period and candidates attended for two evenings.
The course was very informal, and although held in a classroom environment the meetings were very relaxed and based on instruction, enjoyment and and co-operation rather than any failure of tests etc.
The scheme has been undertaken to try and avoid matches having to use "stand in" referees without having at least some form of basic training, and cover Sunday League games only.
The courses were extremely well attended by representatives from the 4th and 5th Divisions, and the scheme may well be extended further up the Divisions.
The LTR scheme has support both from the Football Association and the Bedfordshire Football Association and to date 19 candidates successfully qualified as LTRs.
League Secretary Russ Maddox stated ”The scheme was undertaken bearing in mind the annual reduction of referee coverage. If the present trend continues in the future the cover by referees will become even worse, and the League had to come up with a radical solution.
The League were extremely pleased with the response and understanding from the clubs, and were even surprised at the numbers wanting to join the scheme.
Of course the scheme can never replace, and is certainly not intended to replace, the County Referee training (11 weeks) that of course is aimed at the career referee, rather than a club official doing his or her bit to help with the referee cover"
The General Secretary placed on record a sincere thank you to all the candidates and a special thank you to Hugh Elliott and Clive Milton who acted as instructors and Alf Bone who handled the logistics for the course.
It is intended to run more courses in the near future. If any person, from any club, would like to become a Sunday League Referee don't hesitate to contact the league.
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