SM
The avuncular one
After rain on Friday night, I didn't believe my Saturday game would be on. Its a notorious pitch which has incredibly bad drainage and is a mess once the rain starts during a season.
The pitch inspection was done by a nearby colleague, I get the nod that the game is on, much to my surprise. I get there early and the pitch looks fine from a distance, it has grass on it and everything (!) but from walking on it, straight away you can see that there are a small number of fairly firm patches but it is mostly very, very soft. Ball will bounce pre-kick off, before players run on it, but I know as soon as there are a few challenges, it will become cut up, sticky mud. The ref doing the pitch inspection has stitched me up!
It was in my mind, I should call this off (which is what I would have done if I had done the pitch inspection), but of course that causes all kinds of problems with expenses, travelling players and for the original ref who has done the pitch inspection, especially given the pitch looks okay before it has been played on and my decision would have been based on experience rather than the visible state of the pitch at the time.
Did the game, the pitch was a mess from 5 minutes in - unnatural ball bounces, ball sticking in the mud. Both teams wanted to play, I let them get on with it. Wasn't hugely happy, especially as it was a nightmare for me to run on.
Thoughts?
The pitch inspection was done by a nearby colleague, I get the nod that the game is on, much to my surprise. I get there early and the pitch looks fine from a distance, it has grass on it and everything (!) but from walking on it, straight away you can see that there are a small number of fairly firm patches but it is mostly very, very soft. Ball will bounce pre-kick off, before players run on it, but I know as soon as there are a few challenges, it will become cut up, sticky mud. The ref doing the pitch inspection has stitched me up!
It was in my mind, I should call this off (which is what I would have done if I had done the pitch inspection), but of course that causes all kinds of problems with expenses, travelling players and for the original ref who has done the pitch inspection, especially given the pitch looks okay before it has been played on and my decision would have been based on experience rather than the visible state of the pitch at the time.
Did the game, the pitch was a mess from 5 minutes in - unnatural ball bounces, ball sticking in the mud. Both teams wanted to play, I let them get on with it. Wasn't hugely happy, especially as it was a nightmare for me to run on.
Thoughts?