BAILLIE: TOP LEAGUES DON'T CARE ABOUT US.

ABBEY Villa joint manager Mark Baillie has voiced his fears for the future of refereeing within the Amateur League.

Both Mark and his brother Graham have enjoyed every minute so far of the club's first ever season in the Premier Section, and all the highs and lows that it has brought.

However, Mark is worried that increasing pressures from the higher leagues may be draining the grassroots game of some its best referees. Speaking before their shock decision to resign from their posts Mark told Match on Tuesday: "I feel the Championship and the Interim League are ruining it for the rest of us," he said.

"As far as I know, some of these games now have four officials, and there are just not enough refs to go around now.

"You can't blame the referees if they want to go to a higher level, but it is affecting the standard of refereeing in the Amateur League. It's not just us saying this - everyone has been complaining about it."

Baillie made the comments after his team drew 2-2 with Ards Rangers, letting slip a valuable lead for the second time in as many games.

They conceded the goal - Mark Miller's second in the match - in the 95th minute, only a week after allowing a 2-1 lead over Holywood with 86 minutes played to become a 3-2 defeat.

Baillie fumed: "We have dropped five points in the last two weeks that we should have held onto."