I've been out to two games today, the first was a promotion assessment before I headed off to watch a new referee who I am mentoring through his first six games.
At the first game, I had to work hard at suppressing a giggle as a player's girlfriend explained the reason she had missed kick off was that she had gone to the wrong ground. Apparently on following her boyfriend's directions she had spotted a ground where a game was taking place, thinking it was his game, she stopped following the directions and headed for the ground she could see. The players had seemed small from a long way away, but she was convinced she was going to the right place. It was only on pulling up at the field that she realised the reason they looked small because they were small ... it was a junior football game, not the bruising open age cup game her boyfriend was playing in!
At this afternoon's game, it was good to see that Respect barriers were in place and that the home club ensured that all spectators were behind them. It helped create the supportive atmosphere that the players needed and despite the one sided scoreline, both teams seemed to enjoy most of the game.
The perennial fund raiser was also in evidence as the raffle for a bottle of wine took place raising much needed funds for the home team. Even I was asked if I wanted to buy a ticket, but I'd used my last 50p on inflating the slow puncture on my car, so I had to decline. The winner seemed happy with his prize even though he looked like he might have preferred a couple of pints of Tetley's Bitter.
As the game finished and both teams moved to congratulate each other on a well contested game, I noticed one parent berating the losing team's assistant manager. I couldn't hear what was being said but hung about to ask the assistant manager what was said. It turns out that the parent had complained about the manager's attitude towards the player. The player had been one of the team of rolling substitutes. At some point in the game he was asked to go on a play at left back but refused as he wanted to play in attack. Even though the manager had agreed to allow the player to play in attack later in the game, he had cried and it was because of this that the parent had challenged the assistant manager. If evidence of the influence of the professional game on junior football was needed, there it is!
That's it for assessing until the 25th. I have a support role for tomorrow's session at the new referees course and a couple of meetings to attend but then I have my second consecutive Saturday off. I might just try and find a referee to assess on Sunday, wouldn't want to get rusty!
Continue reading...
At the first game, I had to work hard at suppressing a giggle as a player's girlfriend explained the reason she had missed kick off was that she had gone to the wrong ground. Apparently on following her boyfriend's directions she had spotted a ground where a game was taking place, thinking it was his game, she stopped following the directions and headed for the ground she could see. The players had seemed small from a long way away, but she was convinced she was going to the right place. It was only on pulling up at the field that she realised the reason they looked small because they were small ... it was a junior football game, not the bruising open age cup game her boyfriend was playing in!
At this afternoon's game, it was good to see that Respect barriers were in place and that the home club ensured that all spectators were behind them. It helped create the supportive atmosphere that the players needed and despite the one sided scoreline, both teams seemed to enjoy most of the game.
The perennial fund raiser was also in evidence as the raffle for a bottle of wine took place raising much needed funds for the home team. Even I was asked if I wanted to buy a ticket, but I'd used my last 50p on inflating the slow puncture on my car, so I had to decline. The winner seemed happy with his prize even though he looked like he might have preferred a couple of pints of Tetley's Bitter.
As the game finished and both teams moved to congratulate each other on a well contested game, I noticed one parent berating the losing team's assistant manager. I couldn't hear what was being said but hung about to ask the assistant manager what was said. It turns out that the parent had complained about the manager's attitude towards the player. The player had been one of the team of rolling substitutes. At some point in the game he was asked to go on a play at left back but refused as he wanted to play in attack. Even though the manager had agreed to allow the player to play in attack later in the game, he had cried and it was because of this that the parent had challenged the assistant manager. If evidence of the influence of the professional game on junior football was needed, there it is!
That's it for assessing until the 25th. I have a support role for tomorrow's session at the new referees course and a couple of meetings to attend but then I have my second consecutive Saturday off. I might just try and find a referee to assess on Sunday, wouldn't want to get rusty!
Continue reading...
