THE Duchy League Management Committee discussed the current referee shortage with Ray Brown of Cornwall FA at their meeting last Monday, with the hope of coming up with a solution to the problem.

There is a shortage as many people within the football community are aware and it is not looking like improving anytime soon.

A month or so ago, West Cornwall tried addressing the issue by running a referees course to try and boost numbers, even if some of them would only be available when their own team hasn’t got a match, and it proved quite successful.

The League Committee are asking every club to speak to their own committees and players to try and drum up volunteers to make running a course viable.

This would ideally suit players nearing the end of their playing days or even just someone that just needs that little push into volunteering to step forward and have a go.

Ray has drafted a letter with all the necessary details for anyone that would like to put their name forward — it can be found at www.duchyle ague.pitchero.com/referees-course-27858.

The three day course is currently set to run in Bodmin from Friday evening, on January 15, through Saturday and concluding on Sunday, January 17.

Alternatively the venue can be changed to another locality if more volunteers come forward in one particular area or spread over a number evenings instead of what is proposed.

The league will refund the £50 cost of the course once volunteers have met the 10 game criteria by May 31, 2017.