Specsavers, a good enough Business League side to go all the way to the latter stages of the Fletchersports FA Cup, are one of many social outfits who have the credentials to play their part in a new, vibrant GFA structure. (0273723)

TIME for a little backtracking on the social football issue.

To all those football ‘socialites’ who take their weekly sporting kick very seriously and want it to continue, I can appreciate your hurt when you are tainted as Mickey Mouse. To them, sorry. Editorially, it’s called stretching a point because at times it is necessary to do so to reinforce an argument.

But, fundamentally, much of our social football is Mickey Mouse when compared to the GFA competitions. I just wish I had kept a diary of the ridiculous incidents which have stemmed from social league football in recent years.

The latest story concerned the appointed referee, who I won’t name, turning up half-an-hour late with no whistle and no flags. For 45 minutes he refereed with verbal instructions by which time, at half-time, the score was 12-0 and the hapless team on the end of the hiding decided enough was enough.