Secretaries Notes

Just one piece of correspondence received since the last meeting, which is the minutes of the Council Meeting held at the Leofric Hotel, Coventry on 13th November 1999.

Membership of the Referee Association is now in excess of 15,000 which is up on last year.

Recruitment & Retention Vacancy
There were two applicants for this post who were both interviewed; the selection panel deciding that there was nothing to chose between them.
A recommendation was put to the council to appoint both. The two gentlemen concerned agreed to the suggestion. We now have a Recruitment & Retention Officer North & South.
North = Eddie McGrath of Bootle & District Referees' Society  & South = Ian Butler of Worthing Referees' society.

The RA working party has now reported on it work on Assaults and it is reported that there is no conclusive evidence that County FAs  are not carrying out their duty in respect of administering punishments to fit the crimes.  Council are of the opinion that all referees should be informed by the County FA of the result of assault hearings - this is not the case in all County FAs. Divisional officers will find out which County FAs are not informing referees of the result of the hearings and the matter will be taken up with the Football Association.

The FA provided assault case figures (reported & proven) - it should please all to know that there is a reduction in the figures.

Re-structuring the Association
A management consultancy team has now been appointed and terms of reference agreed - watch this space for future updates.
Tip Bits from the Instructional & Publication Committee.
Answers still awaited from the FA on the subject of roped off/fenced pitches, securing of goal nets and clarification of Law 5 IBD1.
The proposed wording of an additional rule for resolving of marches by kicks from the penalty mark should a team be depleted was agreed from the chairman's draft.
Clarification on Law 3 is to be sought.
The video 'The laws of Association Football' presented by the Grahams Poll & Barber was viewed - the committee could not recommend it for resale through the RA.

AOB
A cheque for £2,000 was received from Winter Hey Insurance as a donation to the RA funds.

Council were circulated with a letter sent by the FA to all national list referees informing them that in the FA Cup, from the first round proper, they will be required to wear Umbro Referees' kit.  The president has written to the FA expressing great concern at the wording of the letter as over recent years the RA has provided referees appointed to FA Cup games a full set of kit, including embroided badges as appropriate. 

John Brown