Ouch!

To start the day off today I had 2 games at Bothamsall, as Walesby Juniors U12 played FC '05 Bilsthorpe, before Walesby's U14 side played Glapwell FC, who I used to know as Skegby Colts when I was a manager in this age group. I was also originally down to do the Walesby U16 game against Lowdham Colts too but there's only so much I can do before heading off for my senior game! I was surprised actually to find myself down for 3 11-aside games this weekend, but released the third game quite early on.

The FC 05 side was the same that I had done last week in the Notts Shield semi final so as that competition usually ends with teams of a high standard, felt that they would probably go on to win quite convincingly. As it were, they were 1-0 down after 28 seconds! Having seen this Walesby side a couple of times this year, they're quite reliant on a quick, talented striker and it was him causing the problems again.

The lead didn't last long though as 2 minutes later Bilsthorpe equalised, and went ahead about 15 minutes after this. Walesby replied shortly before half time to make it 2-2 at the break.

On a personal note, I was struggling this weekend as I knocked my knee playing football last weekend and it hadn't recovered at all over the last 5 or 6 days and was causing me a lot of pain as I ran. I decided not to put myself through it too much, as I was concerned for my afternoon game so felt I could do these 2 games with very little running. I could see most of the action from around the centre of the pitch, especially at these age groups and so I didn't need to be on top of play all the time.

I controlled the game quite well from a slightly central position and was glad when I could blow for full time for this first game. It ended 4-3 to Bilsthorpe in a result which looked as though it had surprised most as it appeared that they had expected a much easier game but Walesby had made them work really hard for all 3 points.

The second game was a little more one sided as Walesby had only brought 9 players and were facing top of the league Glapwell. They defended well to start with and had kept it at 0-0 for about 12 minutes before Glapwell eventually took the lead. They controlled the game from then on and were 6-0 up at half time. They then continued this performance into the second half, coming out 10-0 victors at the end, a little harsh on the home side who had worked hard.

I was ready to finish by the time this game had ended as my knee was really causing me a lot of grief and I was quite concerned that I would not be able to do my afternoon fixture in Dronfield. I did though learn that I am just as capable of refereeing youth games at a distance and don't always need to be on top of play, though this is a habit I don't want to fall out of, especially in my more senior games.

Pull yer socks up!

After a few weeks of travelling the county and beyond, thankfully the two games today were right on the doorstep. The first being on the Carrs playing fields in Warsop for an U16 game between Warsop Plough and Walesby, before heading up to the Elkesley Road pitch literally a few hundred yards from my own doorstep to do Welbeck's U15's against Southwell United.

Both games ran smoothly, with plenty of goalmouth action. In the first game Warsop started the strongest but somehow found themselves 2-0 down midway through the first half. They pulled one back before half time before levelling shortly after. It then looked as though they were going to run away with it but then Walesby regained the lead. However, Warsop's quality eventually shone through and they won the game late on 4-3.

A couple of key points in this game was that firstly, I turned down 2 handball appeals against Walesby, which they felt heavily aggreived about. The first one I didn't spot as there were a number of bodies in the way but then shortly after, from a cross on the left hand side, it hit an arm that was a little outstretched and my first reaction was that it was ball to hand as the defender was only a matter of yards from where the cross was delivered but thinking back, they've been given for less and due to the slightly unorthodox positioning of the hand, a penalty was probably the right decision.

Secondly, I was very close to booking a Walesby midfielder for not covering his shinpads properly with his socks. I felt as though I was being a little pinickety on the player but one of the many things I learned on the referee's course was that it was crucial shinpads are covered as they can cause injury to others if they become damaged in a tackle. I first told the player to cover his shinpads by pulling up his socks but a couple of minutes later they were down again. I then told him to put some tape on them so he left the pitch to do so but returned without my instruction and without the tape - probably booking in itself, so I firmly warned him that unless he found some tape to cover his pads then he would be booked. I didn't need to speak to him again after this.

The second game again saw the away side take the lead, on this occasion Southwell United, before Welbeck raced to a 4-1 lead. Southwell pulled one back late on but they were well and truely beat in a game of very little incident.

Funnily enough following this game I received a call from the referee secretary informing me of changes to forthcoming weekends, when he said that I'd had a good game today as apparently I was being observed in one of the matches. I didn't know which but got it out of him that it was in the latter at Welbeck. I was given just one peice of advice from him that he'd been told, and that was for me to pull my socks up!! I had worn a pair that had no elastic so one kept slipping low down - I don't know why only one, I must have one leg much thinner than the other, but considering events from the first game of the day, I thought this was highly amusing!!