WARRINGTON and District Referees Society is growing increasingly concerned that football whistlers are becoming an endangered species and are looking to recruit newcomers.

A lack of qualified referees in Warrington and nationally could ultimately lead to The Football Association refusing to sanction leagues like those that run amateur soccer for thousands of players in the town.

The referees' society reports that the position has become so bad that whole divisions of weekend matches in the Warrington Soccer League and Warrington Sunday Soccer League can often be played without a qualified official taking part.

And some referees take charge of more than one game in a day, especially at junior level, to help counteract the falling numbers.

The perception is that potential referees are put off because of the abuse that the men or women in the middle can sometimes receive during a game.

Now, Warrington's leagues are attempting to combat the problem with hefty fines for offending clubs and individuals in a bid to encourage more refs to come forward.

And Ian Harris, chairman of the Warrington and District Referees' Society, says a referee's life can be a rewarding one.

"There are real benefits in learning and practicing leadership qualities, man-management skills, decision making, fitness and report writing," he said.

"Those are all skills that look great on CVs or topics in employment interviews."

Harris said it would be ideal if players coming to the end of their careers switched to refereeing.

If you would like to find out more, contact Ian Harris on 725191 or Roy Naylor, who organises and trains new recruits as liaison officer with The FA, on 812779.