AS the games go, of prime importance is the officiating. This year county referee from Ireland Tony Jordon (Dublin) will be in the Big Apple to meet with the locals and pass on his knowledge to all.

Paddy Gormley, who is the development officer in New York, is organizing the get together on Friday, April 6, and he is inviting team managers and trainers as well as all referees to this meeting.

This is paramount to the year ahead as it will cost upwards of $5,000 to enter a team in a competition this year before a team kicks a ball, and one of the biggest complaints is always the variances of refs from one to another, and from one game to another.

For a season to be in the hands of someone who is not properly qualified after training for six months, and investing large monetary sums on insurance, 60 day players and associated costs of running a club is unacceptable in this day

and age. They must be brought to the same page, and if the managerial staff of the clubs can pass on this information to the players it can only improve the game.