Following the inception of full time referees this season, the revolution within refereeing circles continues unabated.

Next season contributory league officials, ie Unibond and North West Counties, will see their Saturdays and midweek nights turned upside down.

To date, each league has compiled its own list of match officials and appointed accordingly.

From August these appointments will be handed over to the Football Association.

In effect, a referee or assistant will not be contracted to an individual league but to the governing body. The result will be that officials will control games on the league already mentioned but in addition the Northern Counties East, Northern League and Midlands Alliance.

Theoretically, it could be Gretna (Scotland) on Saturday, North Ferriby (Hull) midweek, and Rushall Olympic (Walsall) the next weekend.

On the plus side it will given an instant snapshot of those referees excelling and those doing less so as a truly level playing field will have been established.

On the down side, it will require far greater commitment from officials to cover the extra mileage and acquaint themselves with several sets of league rules.

Additionally, the cost will proliferate.

Although I understand the FA will subsidise the first couple of years, it will be a potential hardship for the likes of Blyth Spartans to pay the expenses of three lads from the Potteries.

Time will tell whether this is change for change's sake or a real step forward.

In the meantime, it will at least result in visits to previously unexplored corners of God's non league footballing world.

Finally, on behalf of the county's officials, may I thank the Touchline correspondents, Trevor Hanson, Michael Black and Ian Fraser for ensuring that we now regularly have two columns concerned with referees and refereeing issues.

Their appreciation of our efforts is laudable.

The Road to Damascus is well and truly grid locked.