A most deplorable saga

From what I have been hearing and what I have been told there is a terrible lack of commitment by some members of the Referees' Association.

There's the disturbing news of matches not being played because referees appointed to officiate those matches are not turning up after they have agreed to carry the whistle. This is in itself deplorable and puts the association in bad light.

Recently, I was forced to approach the man who is charged with the responsibility of appointing referees for games; he is also disappointed by the lack of commitment of some referees, who agree to officiate but at the last moment call to say that they are unable to turn out, leaving him with little chance of getting a replacement.

The Referees' Association was formed in 1968 and has held its own as a respected organization which served the Dominica Amateur Sports Association (DASA) and the Dominica Football Association (DFA) after DASA was defunct.

Only recently, in my sports column, I praised those referees who gained FIFA appointments and those who were competent and disciplined officials who had made the association proud for many years.

To be in existence for over 40 years, 45 years to be precise, is a worthy achievement; the association is perhaps one of the few sports associations in existence in Dominica that long and this is something to be proud of. I always believe in quality and not quantity of membership in the association and this paid dividends during my term in office. It may be that some referees are not fit to be members of the Referees' Association so they should be done away with. But there may be a different side to this story.