Unfortunately Grassroots Football was in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. In Dublin, hundreds of soccer games were postponed to protest against the abuse of referee's. However, this problem is not unique to Dublin. Unfortunately, our referees have been subject to similar abuse here in Clare. It is up to every Club, Coach, Parent and Player to do their part in creating a positive environment at games. Simply put, without our Referee’s, there can be no games. We must not forget that we are an amatuer organisation built on a foundation of volunteers. All referees are there to keep our players safe and allow them to play. Referee’s deserve respect and all of us here at Shannon Town Utd AFC will continue to ensure that our players, coaches and supporters recognise this and act appropriately at all times.