The key points of the March Bristol RA Branch meeting were as follows:

• There were 27 members in attendance.

• The branch now has 149 full members and 3 guest members.

• The branch opened up the floor to members questions for its monthly training topic. One of its members had heard that a referee had cautioned a player for unsporting behaviour for urinating by the side of the pitch and asked was this correct? This then opened a lively debate between members on how this certain situation should be dealt with!

• Richard Melinn had been the intended guest, but had submitted his resignation as the GFA RDO during February.  As a consequence he stepped-down from his slot, and the Branch was very privileged to have Simon Snartt as a late replacement.  This change created a platform for one of the more illuminating and inter-active meetings for some while.  Simon related his own story from “rookie Class 3” to “National Level 3”, and he was even able to read-out his very first Assessment, from 1994.  As he said against himself, there was only one direction to go in as far as the assessor’s comments were concerned – and that was his initial spur towards his ultimate challenges as a Football League Assistant Referee and Conference Referee, and the final few assessments this season to close his senior active career.

• The members that were present, benefited from Simon's wisdom, and many were wiser leaving the meeting than they had been on arrival.

• The next meeting is on Thursday 10th April. The 'guest speaker' is to be announced shortly. As soon as the details are known it will be announced on the Bristol RA Website.