Wicklow Coiste na nÓg has called an emergency meeting for tonight to address a refereeing crisis in the county.

In an email issued to clubs, the county minor board says clubs who aren’t providing referees will be withdrawn from two rounds of U13, U15 and U17 competitions.

“At present, we do not have enough referees to complete our programme in a suitably organised manner – most especially on Monday nights, when the U13 Football Spring Series and the U17 Football Player Pathway are both scheduled,” the email read.

“To address this crisis, while continuing to provide meaningful games for all the clubs that are currently providing exceptionally accommodating referees, Coiste na nÓg’s CCC are proposing the following:

‘That clubs not currently providing a referee, (or a sufficient number of referees to correlate with the number of teams that they have entered), have their team (or a proportionate number of their teams) withdrawn from the next two rounds of the U13 Football Spring Series and the next two rounds of the U17 Football Player Pathway – and that the fixture schedule for both these competitions be updated accordingly (This means that these teams will have no games on Monday 15th and Monday 29th April - as a starting point).

“That in situations where there is an inadequate number of referees to officiate at U15 football games on Wednesday nights, clubs not currently providing a referee be obliged to forfeit.

“That every club that is not currently providing a referee, or an adequate number of referees to correlate with the number of teams that they are entering, engage immediately with a process that will see this situation fully rectified no later than Friday, May 3, so that we can include all clubs and all teams in our full programme of games thereafter.”

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