Protocol

Had one game today, up at the Highfields Complex in Nottingham, near the University. It was in the MAA and was between EMTEC and Sherwood Colliery. The sun was out for what felt like the first time pretty much all season and so I looked forward to a good game. I told myself to concentrate, be confident and enjoy it and it should go well.

Early on I had good banter with a few of the players. First off the home captain who was upset having learned the Man United score - they were 2-0 down and had come back to win 4-2.I told him I shared his pain! Shortly after this, I was told my all-black kit was clashing with the dark blue / black of the visitors and they were struggling to distinguish me with the players. I just said well I'm the one that looks disinterested, runs away from the ball and has a really poor touch! They enjoyed that and I heard no more about my strip.

The game was going ok, the first half was fairly easy, just one penalty shout that I had to turn down. The forward and goalkeeper met each quickly side on chasing a loose ball and both went down. I wasn't convinced that the forward had to go down nor that the keeper had done anything you don't expect a defender to do, it wasn't a clear push nor a barge, it was shoulder to shoulder to I waved it on.

In the second half, a couple of incidents could have been controlled better on my part. Firstly, a boot came off the away defender just after his goalkeeper had collected the ball and so I asked the keeper not to release it until his player had replaced it. He acknowledged me but then dropped the ball at his feet. After his player had replaced his shoe I waved play on and the keeper then picked the ball up, which caused a slight protest from a couple of the home players. It is an offence to pick it up after having had it under control before initially releasing it, but I waved it on anyway. Whilst it would have been harsh to give a free kick against him for doing this, it would have looked more convincing or professional to have awarded a free kick against him but asked the opposition to give it back to him.

Following this, towards the end of the game, the home striker and away keeper were in a race for the ball at the edge of the area. Arriving very close together, a fair challenge saw the ball spill loose to the edge of the box to a second home striker, but as he was receiving the ball, an away defender's boot caught his keeper on the side of the head, casuing him to go down holding it. I saw this and immediately blew for a head injury. However, as I blew, the home striker slotted the ball between two defenders in the area and into the empty goal. Because I had already blown the goal could not stand but I was now met with a bunch of frustrated home players. The captain helped me clear them away but was keen to protest the goal anyway. However, I made it clear from my position that I had done the right thing. Despite a couple of minutes of protests, they accepted the decision and the game could go on. I restarted with a drop ball to the keeper, when in actual fact, I probably should have in some way returned the ball to the opposite team having just disallowed their goal.

The game ended 1-1 and both teams had no complaints at the end and thanked me for it so that was a plus as there were a good few moans throughout. No moans either from the management so I guess a pleasing game. Hopefully tomorrows will be just as pleasing.

Biggest game to date

As the end of the season draws ever closer, the games are starting to get bigger and more important, for most sides anyway. I've already learned that I shall be officiating in 3 cup finals near the end of the season, which is great news - more info on that to follow.

Today, I faced my biggest game to date. An U15 Cup semi-final between Robin Hood Colts and Arnold Town Maroon. I should have had 2 assistants in this game but when I made it to the ground I heard that one had already called in sick so arrangements were made for a representative from each side to take a half each. There were only 5 minutes remaining before kick off when the other assistant arrived, otherwise I was on my own.

Before the game got underway, I was asked to lead the sides out of the changing rooms and onto the pitch and for them to then do the respect handshakes. I had heard earlier in the season that the handshakes should be taking place on a weekly basis anyway but I'd not seen it put into place all year, my bad?

Following this the game got under way and it was Robin Hood that started the brighter. This was a team I was familiar with as it was the third time this season I had taken charge of one of their games. Arnold though were apparently the favourites and began to take control of the game, going ahead in one of their first attacks on the quarter of an hour mark. Robin Hood though to their credit didn't let their heads go down and equalised merely 2 minutes later.

It was a very well contested first half and at the break the score remained 1-1. I was pleased at just how well the half had ran, with no incident of note to mention, especially as in previous games with the home side, there have been plenty of moaning and appeals from both those on the pitch and those off it, but today everyone seemed fully focused on the game.

I was advised at half time by one of the home representatives to just keep an eye out for Arnold playing a little rougher as they were known for it apparently but there'd been no sign of this in the first half. The away side started the second half brighter and midway through the half took the lead with a well worked goal down the right side. When the players had returned to their own half, I was alerted to a man down in the box. It was a home defender who appeared to have taken a blow to the knee and was in some pain, and I had my ear chewed off by a Robin Hood coach who said that I had missed something. The thing was, all the play had come down the right side, there was nothing or at least very little happening on the left or even in the centre so how this p[layer had took a knock on the far left side of the 6 yard box was beyond me.

Moments later and a free kick was floated into the box by Arnold and at first the keeper looked like he was comfortable but he spilled it, much to the delight of the unrushing Arnold forwards who had the simplest of tasks of putting the rebound past him. Once again, following the return of the Arnold players to their own half and the keeper had stayed down and was upset. Again the same Robin Hood official barracked me for missing a 'clear' kick as the ball was put in but this time I made a point of saying that I was just yards from the play and there was no contact from the moment the ball was hit into the box to after it had gone in. The keeper had simply spilled it and couldn't recover. Even after the goal he was fine just disappointed that the goal came from his error, so it just looked like dirty tactics to me.

The remainder of the game went by pretty quickly and certainly without further incident and at the full time whistle, the Arnold players celebrated their progression to the final. I was then apprached by someone from the Notts FA and thought I had been observed at first until he simply informed me he was acting on behalf of a Charter Standard awarders and asked for my opinion on how each side had conducted themselves today. I said both had been great and there were no issues or concerns to which he thanked me and we both made our way from the ground.

I had to move pretty sharpish as I had 45 minutes to get to Notts for a game I was doing as a favour. I should have been taking another semi final in Ollerton for their U17's side but had only been contacted on the eve of the game and a clash in kick off times meant I could only do the first. I then sped to the venue of the Goose Fair for a Midlands Amatuer Alliance game between Cambridge Knights (of Nottingham!) and Selston.

This game was played in very high spirits and on a great day in the sun. It was clear from the off that Cambridge weren;t the greatest side in the world, with an ageing back line and, for want of a better word, a chunky lone striker! Selston were full of fairly talented young adults and they controlled the game from start to finish.

However, chances on the day were few and far between and surprisingly the game ended just 1-0 to Selston, with the goal coming in the closing minutes of the first half. How the scores were level for so long was beyond me but the Knights had battled hard and defended quite well but offered little going forward.

I had almost no decisions to make throughout the game and simply strolled around the pitch at my leisure. In fact the quickest I moved was the second I blew for full time as I made it to my car in record time to move it from the clutches of a traffic warden, who had been sniffing around it about half an hour earlier! I was in a rush finding the pitch and had just parked at the side of a main road, but other cars were there too, it there were no markings and I saw no signs. Still, luckily I got there in time!