If the pay was exceptional, a nice big company car was thrown in as an extra incentive and a hefty lump sum and pension awaited when you finally packed the whistle, the pencil, the notebook and the red and yellow cards away for the last time we would all be at it! Or would we? Hands up all those who would have the courage to become a referee. As thankless tasks go it takes beating, yet so many whistlers will tell you that they do it for the enjoyment they get out of it and there is no doubt that they are serious. Yes, there must be a big thrill and a great deal of satisfaction to be derived from officiating at a big match like an All-Ireland final or a county decider, but the vast majority of referees will never get the opportunity to be part of such massive occasions and must satisfy themselves with taking charge of the 'bread and butter' games that make up the bulk of the fixture list each year. As one referee who tends not to get chosen for the bigger games quipped at a club match during the late summer - "our work is done once you reach the knock-out stages." But the reality is that every referee is vital to the running of the GAA in a county and Meath is no different. However, recruitment has proved to be a major problem and with more games on the annual fixture list than ever before due to an increased number of additional competitions it's a situation that carries very serious implications. After all, it's a simple case that matches can't be played without the 'man in the middle', but many people appear to forget that plain fact as they treat referees like an enemy and subject them to the sort of abuse that is totally unacceptable. As with any player, whether he be a moderate club footballer or hurler who might never attain a greater level than lining out with the local junior team, or one of the star inter-county exponents of either code, no referee goes out to have a 'bad match' and the treatment they are so often the victims of can be truly sickening. A referee probably expects a certain amount of 'criticism' from among the spectators, but it's the abuse from club officials and players which is surely the greatest problem and which has to be viewed as a major obstacle when it comes to recruiting new officials. It has to be appreciated that there are approximately 60 adult clubs in the county, between hurling and football, and with only 66 referees in the pool at the moment the shortage of whistlers is blatantly obvious. During 2003, Meath referees officiated at over 3,000 games, which represents a staggering statistic, and many of these men handle a minimum of six or seven games a week during the busy months. Only nine new faces attended the GAA referees' beginners' course at the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan, at the start of this year and that came after Meath Referees' Assessor Joe Harlin had pleaded at the adjourned Co. Board convention earlier for clubs to provide referees. At the adjourned convention Harlin fired a broadside at clubs as he blasted those who regularly abuse referees from the sideline. Players weren't left out either and he criticised club officials for their failure to curb those who become involved in verbal exchanges during or after games. He stressed that club officials will have to take responsibility and intervene to help stop the abuse. Otherwise, he predicted that "we can forget about games in the future." Of course, clubs are obliged to nominate one member to be a referee, but some just don't bother. However, there are those who do take it seriously, among them Walterstown who have three referees - Seamus McCormack, Martin Shiels and Jack Gordon. But there is also a problem with the referees themselves which only they can address. Only about a dozen of them regularly attend the monthly meetings which are surely crucial as part of the learning curve which all referees have to be part of. The question has to be asked - how can referees possibly improve their game-handling skills if they don't attend these meetings? Assessment is vitally important for referees, not just in Gaelic games, but in all sports where they play such a hugely important role. Referees' Assessor Harlin was totally frank in an interview for the Yearbook. "The recruitment problem is massive and it will get worse as time goes on and referees get older," he said. "We appealed to the clubs last year for referees because we need between 10 and 15 new recruits each year for the coming years to cater for retirements, etc. "Out of the nine people who attended the beginners' course only six successfully completed it. With far more games being played these days it's an even bigger problem. The referees and their partners both tend to work in many cases. Years ago only one person worked and she was at home. "There are pressures, with mortgages and bills to be paid. He's away from home three or four nights a week and relationships can be put under strain because he's not there. If we don't recruit enough referees, a stage will be reached where games can't be played. Games won't take place because not enough referees will be available to fulfil a fixture list that's getting bigger and bigger." Abuse of referees is another huge issue that concerns Harlin and obviously hinders the efforts to recruit new officials. "Respect for referees is non-existent among clubs," he added. "It's discouraging for guys that every decision they make is queried and that if a club loses a match and isn't happy with decisions that the referee makes they are going to the boards. Trial by media is also a huge issue, because club officials aren't happy with referees and will criticise those referees for their decisions. "Clubs are ignorant of the playing rules and that's also a huge problem. At convention last year we gave the clubs the opportunity to have myself, Jimmy Henry or Seamus McCormack speak to them about the playing rules and, in my own case, I have had only one approach. "That was from Dunshaughlin GFC who organised a room in the Ardboyne Hotel. I did a presentation on the playing rules and misunderstood rules. I can honestly say that it was a huge benefit to the Dunshaughlin club and to myself because I learned a lot that night too." The overturning of decisions made by referees during the course of games is a situation that is bound to upset match officials and can't help the recruitment drive either. "Who authenticates the 'authentic witnesses?', Harlin asked. And it's a very good question. "How do we know that these 'authentic witnesses' are at the games at all? The issue, as far as I'm concerned, is that the powers who run the association need to straighten out discipline quickly. "The reversal of decisions also sets a precedent in so far as if no video evidence is available a player can produce 'authentic witnesses' to back up his claim. Referees are guys who give up their spare time to officiate at games. The very least they deserve is respect. "We have a number of very good referees at the moment, but I'm concerned for the future if we don't get enough recruits in - male or female. I appeal to the clubs for support. Without them we can't function." Regular meetings are organised for the county's referees and these gatherings are obviously very important to maintain communication, standards and consistent application of the playing rules. But here exists a problem also. "We have referees who don't attend monthly meetings for reasons best known to themselves," Harlin said. "I decided that we would have meetings every four to six weeks during the course of the championships. Out of 66 referees, the highest number we had present was only 35. It's very hard to get consistent application of the rules when half of them aren't turning up. "We also held a one-night course for serving referees last spring and got Pat McEnaney to attend it. The attendance was very disappointing." Harlin is passionate about the crucial role referees play in the GAA and, while there are undoubted problems, he is looking to the future and wants to see an improvement from an image point of view. "I would like to sincerely thank Panda Waste for their very kind sponsorship which enabled us to purchase kit bags for all the referees in the county," he added. "Next year we hope to improve our image as well by using sponsorship money to buy fleeces, etc. We want to improve our image." 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