Well said Arny . A top notch post . I used to be involved in junior and local football going back a few years and it was hard even in those days to get umpires and its a damn site harder now coz of the shit they cop . Simpletons are killing the goose that laid the golden egg . Thankfully from what i am hearing there is a lot of work going on in that area in the local comps.
Good on you Arnhem Blues for raising a very good point . It is crucial to attract and retain umpires if this great game is to survive .

Good idea re: frees against spectators and coaches.

I took up club soccer at age 31 and because I was the worst player in the B team I consented to be the nominated referee for the A's. I had to ensure constant moaning and abuse from the sidelines, and although I was technically authorised to order people to leave the park, in practice only a suicidal or homicidal maniac would do that. Being able to give free kicks would have been a less inflammatory and dangerous way to deal with it. The refereeing aspect was a large part of the reason I quit after one season... taking up the sport at such a ripe age meant I needed to have a lot of enthusiasm for the work!