The History of Aldershot Referees’ Association…
In 2009, the original Aldershot RA disbanded due to dwindling membership levels and a lack of youth, and referees in the Aldershot area were left without a central place to debate all things refereeing.
After Hampshire FA and Dean Mohareb hosted a ‘Have Your Say’ event at Aldershot FC in November 2011, it was identified that there was a huge need for a local forum for referees to meet – Aldershot RA was sorely missed. Owing to the commitment and dedication by a few committee members, Aldershot RA was resurrected and held its first AGM in April 2012.
One year on, and we are now 39 members strong – of which 13 are youth – and we are one of the fastest growing local associations in the country. We have even been given national recognition through our contribution to the RA-FA Youth Council’s ‘RA Good Practice Guide’ for our work on Development Nights!
So, what do you do?
To put it quite simply – our aim is to provide referees in the Aldershot and surrounding areas with a forum to discuss, debate and ultimately develop their refereeing skills.
From a ‘personal’ perspective, the most important and overlooked reason for joining us at Aldershot RA is the fact it gives you, as a local referee, a support network. We discuss ‘flash points’ from previous matches, provide opportunities for you to ask for advice from more experienced referees and learn techniques for managing incidents on the field of play.
For more on what membership entitles you to, have a look at our Membership page.
When, where and how?
We hold meetings on the 2nd Thursday of every month, September – May, at Aldershot Conservative Club (GU11 1PE, with a sat nav). Our Youth meetings start at 19:00 – for further information on the Youth RA, click here – and our Main Meeting for all members starts at 19:45, finishing at 21:30.
Trying us out costs nothing apart from an evening of your time – why not come along and see what we can offer?