If four of the Island?s most active referees go ahead with plans to quit their absence would have a ?devastating effect? on local football, according to Aldwyn Savery.

The chairman of Bermuda Football Association?s referees? committee was reacting to the possibility that Bermuda?s only FIFA-listed official Stuart Crockwell as well as Cal Simons, George O?Brien and Gregory (Ribs) Simons will all walk away from the game before the start of next season.

While admitting that he hadn?t talked to any of the individuals, Savery said news of their impending retirement was surprising and if true would deal a severe blow to the local game.

?If it?s true and all of them leave at one time it will be devastating for soccer, it?s something that we certainly wouldn?t like to see happen,? said Savery.

?On the other hand people like Stuart Crockwell have good international experience and while I haven?t spoken to him, my intention is to ask him whether he would continue to help us with our assessment programme which we really need to work on. And also he could help us with some instructions.

?Cal Simons is a refereeing instructor, he went to England and did the course. Hopefully he will play a bigger role in that area particularly with our need to have referees physically trained. Last year he went to the UK and, in fact, conducted the physical part of the international training course. And he did pretty well. Hopefully we can get our course started again.

?We had Cal doing it when the English Association?s Director of Referees was here last year and Cal did the physical part and the director was impressed. He would be a great asset to us if he was too continue to help in this area.?

The chairman reckoned that O?Brien would be a ?huge? miss but felt he could be persuaded to stay on.

Savery said, however, that Gregory Simons? decision was less of a surprise as the veteran track athlete was heavily involved with the programme at Somerset Cricket Club where he expects to serve as the club?s physical trainer.

?I would respect the steps taken by these officials, but hopefully we can still persuade a couple of them to stay on or help in a related area. I intend to check with them all, each of them can still have a role to play in the referees? programme itself,? explained Savery.

?We have to do some very aggressive recruiting. Hopefully we will try to revive things in that area. But it?s becoming more crucial for the clubs to help to find somebody within their ranks to put forward to represent them in refereeing.

?In some countries where there is a shortage of referees, each club has what you call a club official who is trained and they are called upon each time a referee is short.

?We haven?t got a lot of people coming forward and that tactic would help Bermuda a lot.

?We have five girls whose performance has been good over the past season and they have been promoted to Class Three referees and they will be playing a bigger part in women?s football. Perhaps they would want to play a bigger part in men?s football also.

?But the problem we have here is that some referees want to give up too early. In some countries somebody like Stuart Crockwell would be depended upon a lot. But I can understand his position. Perhaps his job is taking a bigger toll on him than he would like.?