I hope that you all had a very enjoyable Christmas and are now looking forward to a prosperous New Year. It will be great if the weather was to give us a chance to referee again!  It's been a long time since I blew a whistle to start a match and I am thinking of applying to the lottery commission for a grant to set up refereeing courses for experienced referees, who in this long and unaccustomed break, have forgotten how to officiate!

This Wednesday we will have the chance to discuss the proposed changes to the structure and operation of the RA. If you have any concerns do come along and air them. I will have with me the full document and should be able to answer most of your questions.

Vic Rolland, the chairman of the Surrey County Referees Association, will be with us this week.  Vic is not coming as a speaker but does have a wide experience of the RA in its present form, and has examined the proposed changes with other colleagues, and so, is in a very good position to help and advise us.

I look forward to meeting you all at the first meeting of the New Millennium - 2001 is as we all know the first year and 2000 was the last year - and I only did basic maths.  See you then.

John Brown