More whistlers are required to guarantee the smooth running of Gaelic games

Without them games just wouldn't take place and in a time when criticism is so often easily flung over social media being a referee is becoming an increasing difficult role, but Meath GAA continue to encourage people to pick up the whistle.

In an average year, and there hasn't been one of them for a while, Meath GAA would except to host over 2,500 adult games and almost the same again at underage level, so the strain on referees has been immense.

Current Referee's Administrator Frank Gallogly can call on up to 85 referees to help ensure all those games are played, but he has warned that another 25 or 30 new officials are needed to maintain the high quantity of games that will be scheduled because of the introduction of the Premier FC competitions.

Last year Gallogly and his hard working referee's committee of Seamus McCormack, Dom Reilly, John Delaney, Raymond Finnegan recruited seven new officials and while that might not sound like a significantly high level of uptake Gallogly believes that if they can add seven or eight new referees every year then their plans to have fully officiated games at every championship level is on course.

One of Gallogly's main drives since taking over as Referee's Administrator was to ensure there were qualified officials appointed to act as linesmen at every championship game and the Dunshaughlin club man is eager to see the back of the days when a referee has to go in search of a club chairman or secretary to find him linesmen or umpires before a game throws-in.

"The referee's committee moved away from just sending emails to club chairpersons and secretaries when searching for new referees and we became more proactive," Gallogly told the Meath Chronicle.

"We are short of referees for the amount of games we have, there's no denying that. We have brought in 18 to 22 new officials over the last three or four years, but we need at least another 30 new refs because of the volume of competitions we have.

"The referees we have are doing an unbelievable job to cover the huge amount of games we have, but they can't sustain that level of games between so few of them.

"I rang all 59 club secretaries late last year and outlined the issues we are having with shortage of referees and I stressed to them that having a referee in the club was good for the club because they could use that official to grown their knowledge of the playing rules.

"We managed to recruit seven new referees out of that process. We are hoping to increase that number and are targeting urban clubs and challenging them to be able to produce two referees.

"We will work with all the clubs to help them identify potential new referees and provide them with the training and education needed to qualify as a referee. We have great referees in this county and plenty of experience to train new officials."

One of the biggest turn off for new people getting involved in refereeing is the perceived level of abuse they have to endure, but Gallogly believes that those type of incidents have declined massively and be insists that a greater level of respect between managers, players and officials now exists.

"We have had the managers in for meetings to talk to them about how they treat and talk to referees and I have to thank them for their involvement because over the last couple of years there hasn't been near as much shouting and roaring from the sidelines towards the referees and that helps everybody do a better job," said Gallogly.

"The new referees are not coming back to me with long stories of abuse from sidelines which is great, but they know they have our support and they are encouraged to report any problems immediately and with the help of the CCC any offenders will be punished, but thankfully that type of stuff is on the decline. There really has been a massive improvement.

"We have introduced a fee to be paid for not just the referee but also for the appointed linesmen at all championship games and that will ensure a higher standard of officiating because it's better to have qualified referees running the line rather than a club chairman or secretary who might find themselves put in unnecessary difficult positions.

"By having those qualified officials running the lines means that they can explain to the managers and sidelines the decisions that are made on the field and I feel that that has helped cut down on the roaring and shouting at referees.

"We will be pushing that liaising between referees, linesmen and managers in both codes this year because the managers deserve the respect of the officials as well. Managers are entitled to know why a free was awarded or why a foul was given and that is where the involvement of qualified linesmen comes in."

Gallogly doesn't like the accusation that some referees are in it for the money. He believes that the love of the game is what keeps referees involved and while he admits they are more than capable of dealing with the tough job he also thinks that more can be done to help match officials in the future.

"In the last two years we have had 2,500 adult matches each year and we have never lost a match and that has to go down to the great credit and commitment of the referees," said the Dunshaughlin man.

"If I asked those people to go out seven nights a week I know they would do it. People can make the glib remarks that they are getting paid, but that's not why they do it.

"Our referees are doing this because they love the game and they have a huge sense of pride in representing their club. There is also the possibility there for them to progress up the ladder and become involved with Leinster as an inter-county official.

"Everyone of our referees strives to be the best they can be and we have some great young up and coming referees who are going to make exceptional inter-county officials and are already involved with Leinster GAA.

"I have huge sympathy for all referees, not just the ones doing the big games, but all matches. I really wonder how much more referees can take with cards, sin-bins, marks and all the new rules that are coming through, I really feel for them, they have a lot to contend with.

"Personally I'd like to see the time keeping element of refereeing taken out of the refs hands at inter-county level, it may not happen at club level.

"We have seen the clock work very well in ladies football and there is no confusion over how much might be left. Definitely that is the way to go, it is an extra pressure the referees can do without," concluded Gallogly.