AN AMATEUR football league has been saved after enough referees volunteered to officiate at their friendly Saturday morning games.

The matchandsports.com league was threatened after the Scottish Football Association stopped registered officials for their fixtures.

The governing body had demanded the league affiliate to the Scottish Amateur Football Association, at a cost of around £4000, if it wanted to continue to use registered referees.

The first round of league matches, which were due to take place last weekend, had to be called off.

But it emerged last night that enough volunteer refs have come forward to allow the league to run without relying on SFA officials.

Matches, which are played at Riverside and Lochee Park, will start again from Saturday.

League organiser Steve McSwiggan last night said, “We’re pretty much delighted by the support we’ve had locally from the MSPs, the council and the other associations who have taken up our plight.

“Its important to us to get up and running again, as we’ve been going for 15 years.

“All we want to do is get playing again this week and hopefully we’ll be left alone to carry on next week.

“We’re keen that it’s not just our league that had been singled out—schools, the Boy’s Brigade and bounce games playing in the public park could be too, so hopefully they’re not going to target them as well.

“It’s been quite intimidating being singled out by the SFA but we’re not going to buckle over this.”

Politicians had rallied round the league, which operates on a not-for-profit basis, with any surplus donated to charity.