Busy Weekend! - Saturday

Without a doubt this weekend was by far my most busiest, challenging and tiring so far on many levels as I took charge of 5 games over the 2 days, almost 6 hours of football, and some very tough games indeed.

It started easy enough though with 2 mini soccer games at Manor School. Manor FC U8's beat Teversal FC 2-1 in a close battle, whilst Manor FC Vipers U8's went down by 5 goals to 1 to Shirebrook Rangers. Both games were easy enough as expected.

I then made my way to Borrowash for my afternoon Central Midlands game where I was in the middle for the first time at this level since the beginning of November. I also had the pleasure of being informed just as I arrived at the ground that I was being assessed by Ernie Broughton, so I certainly had to be at my best as I continue in my quest for promotion.

The first thing I had to do on arrival was do a pitch inspection as there had been overnight frost and the ground had been pretty solid. A local referee had checked it earlier in the day and whilst it was unplayable at that time, he didn't want to call the game off if it improved over the day and so left it to me to decide whether it was fit to play on.

It was still quite solid underfoot and you could tell that a couple of inches down that the ground was still frozen but there was a good inch or two on the surface that was soft and the divots were soft so didn't pose a danger to the players so I was happy to allow the game to be played. A member of the away side (Heanor Town) management wasn't happy with the pitch but he was the only one moaning and as the decision was mine, the game was to be played.

My assessor arrived and we spoke about various things, from the pitch, expectations of me, fitness etc and he informed me that the pitch looked good and I was correct to allow the game to go ahead. I prepared for the match, had a breif warm up and then called the two teams out to start the game.

I try not to change my game just because I'm being assessed but I guess I am a little conscious throughout that he is there so I probably sharpen up in some areas. It was a difficult game on a difficult pitch with 2 physical sides and the pitch soon began to cut up and become very boggy in areas and so the tackles came in quick and fast. I had to be on the ball right from the off and cut out any tackles that I believe were reckless, making allowances for the fact that often it is difficult to avoid making contact with the player due to the conditions, but these still had to not pose a danger to the opposition.

There were a number of players sliding in at every opportunity and I judged each one on it's own merit, allowing play to go on if it was fair, playing advantages were possible, or stopping play if they were unfair. On the 16th minute I cautioned the Heanor Town right back after a period where there had been 3 or 4 harsh challenges and so I thought a card was necessary to control the situation. The tackle itself was worthy of a yellow card as the quick Borrowash winger had beaten his man and was heading for the box before being tripped by the offender. He accepted the card and the game swiftly moved on.

I had a worry at the start of the game as this was my first real challenge since the Xmas period that my fitness wasn't at where it should be but I didn't feel too bad out there, even on the heavy ground. I kept up with play well and was always close by when making a decision, whether it be to give a foul or to decide whether the flag from either [club] assistant was correct, as at times they were both quite out of line, not up with play.

At half time, I was happy that the half had gone well, the score was 1-1, which reflected how even the game was at that point, and I then spent half time speaking to the assessor. He said I was doing well and that the caution was spot on, came at the right time and set the tone for what I was happy or unhappy with. He mentioned that I was getting about the pitch well, didn't have any problems with my fitness or speed, and that I was controlling the game well. He gave me a few pointers to work on in the second half. Firstly to improve my signalling as I have a tendancy to not give a clear indication as to which way I have given a decision, and also to be more vocal to assist the signals.

I made every effort to improve this in the second half and so every decision after the interval came with a clear arm signal and a shout as to which way I had given it. This helped to iron out any confusions with close decisions and because I was being clear which way I was indicating, there were less debates against each call.

Borrowash began to get a foothold in the game and took the lead early on, and soon after there was controversy when I overuled the Heanor Town's assistant's flag as he indicated an offside against 2 players on the opposite side of the pitch from him. I was close to both and believed one could have been offside but was adament that the recipient of the ball had come from his own half and he went on to put Borrowash 3-1 up. The linesman didn't take well to this, throwing his flag to the floor and shouting to me. I spoke to him indicating my belief that the player who had the ball wasn't offside as I was in a good position to see this.

This incident, together with the fact Heanor were slipping out of the game took it's toll and Borrowash ran riot, eventually coming out 6-1 winners. I was still happy with my performance despite the controversy and pleased that I only needed the one caution to help control the game.

The assessor met me after the game and we discussed a number of things. He actually said that the assistant was correct and that I was wrong to overule him on this occasion, but seemed to understand why I did as he was very rarely level with play and so I had to use my own judgement on most of his decisions. I did go with him on most occasions but the one that I had chosen to ignore him looked to have had an impact.

Following the assistants frustration, he was even further from play for the remainder of the game and the assesor informed me that 2 more of the goals late on were offside but neither I nor the assistant was in a position to make the call, which was a little disappointing.

Overall, I was still pleased with my performance. I felt I controlled the game well, which was difficult due to the conditions and the 2 competitive sides. My fitness was fine, my signals were good, especially in the second half and I played some good advantages. However, due to the fact that I chose to ignore the assistant when he was in fact correct, and this led to 2 further mistakes with offside calls, I am not expecting the greatest of assessment reports or scores. I'll take it all in my stride though, learn from it and hope that it continues to improve my game.

Cup Weekend

A busy day today as I ended up with 3 matches, and it could have been 4 if I was able to fit in Claypole Warriors v Glapwell Gladiators in the U13 cup, but both the distance and the lack of time in between the matches I could take ensured I had to make do with 3!

When I'm down for multiple games I pray that at least 1 of them is mini soccer, which doesn't involve a great deal of running so I can save energy for the other games but all 3 games were 11 aside so I had to ensure I was well prepared going into them. I made sure I was up in time for a good breakfast, which I don't usually have but with me doing the 3 games almost back to back, I wouldn't be able to catch a bite before at least 4pm, so breakfast today was vital.

The first game was easy enough, an U14 tie between Shirebrook Rangers and Ashfield Rangers. Ashfield looked like a team that typically struggled in the best of circumstances so today was made extra difficult for them that their first choice keeper was unavailable so a regular outfield player had to take the gloves. They were limited to just the 11 players also so no subs were available.

Shirebrook attacked right from the off and were quickly in the lead. Dominating possession and not giving Ashfield a sniff, they were 4-0 up at half time and although conceding a couple late on, they went on to win comfortably 7-2. The match itself was incident free and easy enough to officiate but their was an incident on the touchline when an off the ball incident occurred and officials from both sides got involved. It stemmed from a young Shirebrook coach swearing to himself at the challenge before being confronted by the Ashfield official who was running the line, and was also a police officer unhappy at the young coaches language. There was a slight scuffle and I had to intervene so it was no more than handbags but not exactly what you want at a kids football match.

After the game this threatend to boil over as the young Shirebrook representative had made contact with his dad who was a coach of one of the older Shirebrook teams and he'd made every effort to get to the ground quickly to 'sort him out' but thankfully the Ashfield side had left.

The next game at the same ground was Shirebrook Rangers U11 against Blidworth Welfare, again in the cup. This time the home side became unstuck against a decent Blidworth side and again the match went quickly with out any problems. The visiting side took the plaudits 3-1, and this was one of the easiest games I've had to take charge of so far.

Then it was off to a familiar ground in Debdale Lane at Mansfield Woodhouse. The match was Manor 4th U15 against Market Warsop U15 in the league. This was also the first time I'd taken charge of a Market Warsop side of any age since leaving them at the start of the season, and in charge of this side was the club chairman Keith who clearly thought I might bare a grudge as he made sure to warn me of any bias against his side! I'm not one to hold any negative feelings against any club or person though despite having been sort of forced out of the club after trying to take their current U13 side to rivals Welbeck (back to where they actually started and for the reasons of improving the mindset of the players who'd had 2 very difficult seasons at Market Warsop).

The game looked evenly balanced, perhaps with Market Warsop shaving it in the opening half. The main focus was a very well contested battle between 2 midfield giants, 1 from each side who were very competitive, especially with each other. It surprised me really as they were both fairly big lads but seamed to have no problem getting about the pitch, in fact they were both very skilfull and posed one of the biggest attacking threats of their respective sides.

Warsop opened the scoring and shortly followed it up with a couple more where they then began to control the game. The battle between the 2 giants intensified and at times did go a little too far as the quest to overpower the other heated up and I had to make sure I stayed on top of what was a foul and what was ok. I had no hesitation pulling either one up for rough play, especially when they went into tackles with much smaller opposition but gradually the Manor 'general' started to feel that he was missing out on more than he should have had.

In the end, Warsop ran out 7-1 winners as their opponents tired and following the game I was met with a little tirade from the female Manor manager(ess?) about how the bigger Warsop lad was a bully but from my point of view I think her own tough tackler had dished out as much as they'd received.

Easy games at the Manor

I took charge of 2 very easy games today, both at the Manor complex, where I had very little to do. These are always ideal, though the odd bit of controversy always makes for a fun weekend!

The mornings match was between Woodhouse Colts Blue and Shirebrook Rangers Blue at U10. I had taken Shirebrook last week in a 3-0 defeat against Southwell and mentioned in this blog that I thought they were a good team and would probably fair better in their next game. This became true today as they outplayed Woodhouse from the start and earned a comfortable 5-3 win. This may not sound as comfortable as it was b ut can be backed up by the fact they were 5-1 up with about 3 minutes left to play!

The second game was an U12 game between Woodhouse Colts and Teversal. Both sides were very even, with one or two key players and it wasn't a great surprise that the game ended level. I found this a very easy game to officiate with just one tricky moment being a potential penalty appeal as a Teversal player found his way around the keeper but a Woodhouse defender had made it back to cover. The ball had ran lose a couple of times but the keeper hadn't made it back to his position and it had ended with a Teversal striker with his back to goal, trying to keep posession whilst a Woodhouse defender tried to play the ball. Both players hist the deck at one point and I had to decide whether the Woodhouse player had tried to play the ball but brought down the striker instead, but the lack of appeal from either touchline made it easy to wave for play on. It had looked more like the Teversal player had backed into the defender enough to take them both over but their were feet everywhere!

All in all, a good day out!

Week 2 - 2 out of 4 games!

My second week as a Youth League referee and already I was introduced to the joys that is administration! Initially down for 2 matches in Rainworth, I had already arranged one of them in the week when some paperwork indicating changes in fixtures came through the post. This pointed out that I was now to take 2 games in Shirebrook instead. I informed the Rainworth manager who had to then chase up his newly appointed official whilst I awaited hearing from the 2 games I was now doing.

These didn't come by Thursday so I chased them up myself. Both Shirebrook managers had sorted referees so I spoke to the Referees Secretary who told me I was down to do them so I should still be doing them. He chased the games up on my behalf so as far as I was concerned I would be doing the 2 Shirebrook games.

The first was Shirebrook Rangers Blue at U10, against Southwell United Squires. I got there well before kick off, which is always good to give me time to chat to the managers beforehand. I spent some time talking to the Southwell manager who had recently brought his side out of the Newark League for more competition. The Shirebrook manager I recognised from West Notts College, where I used to work.

The game was well contested - you don't see many otherwise at U10! Southwell ran out deserved 3-0 winners but Shirebrook showed glimpses of a very good team and I'm sure the next time I referee for them, I will see a scoreline more in their favour. Also, it has to be said, the half time cup of coffee was very well received too! Thanks!

I then headed for the second Shirebrook game, which was due to kick off within about 15 minutes of the first one ending so hoped they hadn't started to panic yet! It was only 5 minutes around the corner but when I got there I was surprised to see that the match had already commenced with another referee. I contacted the referee's secretary again, who was disappointed to hear of this, and so sorted me an U17's cup game in Skegby for later in the afternoon.

This match proved to be very entertaining indeed! I was pleasantly surprised at the start to see that all U17's matches are given 2 qualified assistants so I could trust the linesmen for once, rather than rely on the typically biased club-appointed assistants. For this one I was given a very young lad, making only his second appearance since being qualified, and a very experienced guy, who actually didn't arrive until 10 minutes into the game.

It was Skegby Colts against Ollerton and by the sounds of the pre-match team talks, Skegby were expected to walk it. I wasn't sure why, they were both in the same division, and were last season, finishing just 12 points apart and just 2 games into this season surely hadn't given much indication of who was much better than who?

Anyway, Skegby's arrogance didn't last long as just 5 minutes in I had to award a penalty to Ollerton for a trip in the box, which was scored. From this, the captain of Skegby saw fit to berate me with moans of diving but I assured these away. When Ollerton went 2-0 up, these intensified and he began to vent his frustrations in me into his tackles, to which Ollerton replied with strong challenges of their own. I had to call the 2 captains in to stop the game from boiling over and told both to concentrate on the game and leave any past decisions behind, whether right or wrong (right of course but it's what they wanna hear!). I could tell my warnings had fell on at least one set of deaf ears! Possibly directly because of this, Ollerton were soon 3-0 up.

The second half threatened to continue where it left off with Skegby verbally challenging every little decision so I made a point of saying it was doing them no favours and if they put as much effort into the game as they were moaning at me they might just get something from the game. This seamed to spark them into life as 30 seconds later they'd pulled one back. Virtually straight from the kick off it was 3-2 and less than 5 minutes later 3-3! Incredible really and just goes to show you if you focus on the task in hand rather than the official you'll be much better off.

Ollerton were on the backfoot but found a goal from somewhere putting them back in front but Skegby equalised with just a couple of minutes remaining to force extra time. They should really have gone into extra time a man down but for the only mistake in the game I admittedly made, when a frustrated Skegby midfielder - and a talented one at that, lunged two-footed into a tackle, clearly hurting an opponent in the process. I blew instantly and in my inexperience, was too indecisive to show my first red card. The fact that I'd even blew for a foul seemed to irritate the Skegby player into thinking he'd got the ball, it was a clear red but I only showed a yellow. Still, he was that furious he actually substituted himself, which did Ollerton no real favours as they were forced to replace their injured player who was actually taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg. This made my yellow card even more frustrating knowing that it should have been red.

Extra time commenced and a goalless first half was contested, before Ollerton made it 5-4 ealry in the second period. Skegby battled to find an equaliser and as it looked like time would evade them, they had the ball in the net with literally seconds remaining, only for the linesman to be flagging for offside. Skegby were fuming and all ran first to me to appeal before I cowardly pointed them in the way of the linesman who had given the decision (well he was a lot bigger than me so why not?!). It was clearly offside, a good 3-4 yards but Skegby wouldn't see this as they threw everything forward looking for the leveller. It was justice to Ollerton really who should have played extra time a man up, though I was disappointed not to be officiating my first penalty shoot out! The full time whistle was certainly met with plenty of moans as I was challenged by a couple of Skegby players, and the manager was in no mood for handshakes so I took the money and got out of there pronto! They had no complaints really, Ollerton were the only ones who had any rights to complain for the lack of a red card, but I had enjoyed my first game at U17 level, though wasn't in any great rush to take on another!