My first ever game was due to be a county cup game at Cleve School. Looked on the map, could not find Cleve School anywhere. I could however find Cleve Park School. In the absence of alternatives, I decided this must be a typo. Mistake 1.
Bear in mind this is late 1999 or early 2000; so no Google Maps, and email hasn't yet become the method of choice. County FAs are run by volunteers, not staff. To top it off in this area, teams were not obliged to contact you beforehand.
I get to the School, and there are two teams waiting for a referee. They must be mine, right? There is no one else. Do the game, and it's a corker, (including an 11 year old who scores a George Weah vs Verona-esque goal).
Happy after this and go back to the Uni hall. A few days later a letter arrives asking me why I did not attend my game. I use the email (mistake 2; see above re email). Hear nothing, perfectly happy.
10 days later a second letter comes - telling me I will be fined £15 for not answering correspondence if I do not reply with 5 working days. I write this time. Nothing further comes of it, so I'm in the clear.... Mistake 3.
I graduate and go home, start refereeing Men's football at home. January 2002, late on a Friday someone from the Northants FA rings me to say I won't be on the game tomorrow. "Postponed because of the weather?" I ask. "No, you're suspended." Cue shock. "We'll look into it and see what we can find out for you."
Now casting no aspersions but I get no answer from anybody until July 2002, when I'm advised to contact the ERCFA direct. Email goes unanswered so I end up ringing them. The reason for the suspension? Non-payment of a £15 fine. We have a lengthy discussion that goes through all of the points above and ends up with me having to pay the fine anyway, no appeal etc. I do and that's the end of the matter, suspension is lifted and I'm free to carry on.
Thankfully County FAs now have permanent staff so this kind of thing is a relic of a bygone age. A catalogue of errors from start to finish, with both sides equally culpable IMO. The support new referees get now is phenomenal. Had I had a mentor or someone at that time, the whole mess would have been avoided.