AMATEUR soccer players playing in the Catforth and District Summer Football League have been given the official go-ahead to start their season after facing the prospect of having no referees.
Teams in the league, which has teams in Wyre, Preston, Fylde and the Ribble Valley, feared massive disruption after registered refs were officially banned from taking games.
But now - in a national first - the league is to pilot summer football thro
ugh the official close season after emergency talks with county soccer chiefs.
The league, which has flourished for nearly 80 years, will for the first time be affiliated to the Lancashire Football Association and come under its auspices for disciplinary matters.
The breakthrough came after LFA chief executive David Burgess lobbied the national FA to review regulations regarding the close season, which extends throughout June.
This had proved a stumbling block because the league traditionally runs from April to August. As the league was not affiliated, referees were told they were not allowed to officiate.
Mr Burgess said: "We live in an ever-changing social environment where people's lifestyle patterns are changing through work and home life, and it sees odd that while we can play football festivals, one-off competitions and recreational football in the close season, a league that has operated for so long cannot become part of the football family.
"However, the FA has looked favourably on the league and subject to sanction by the full FA Council in May, the league has been given dispensation to pilot affiliated summer football, the first league in the country to do so."
Mr Burgess added: "It is fantastic news that the FA has looked at the league and its history, and the fact that it is giving more than 300 participants the opportunity to play the game, as well as giving match officials the opportunity to referee the games, bodes well for the future of the grass roots game.
"It is common sense to affiliate the league and we are looking forward to welcoming the Catforth League as a member of the Lancashire FA."
A league spokesman said: "We're very glad this has been resolved and we'd like to thank the county FA.
"We're very happy to be blazing a trail for summer football, which we have championed for decades.
"We're looking forward to another good season now that an agreement has been reached."
The league was due to start in late April but has been put back by a week to give some clubs more time to organise pitches. The first games are now due to be played on May 6.
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