Typical...

[mikedn]

Well, game was cancelled today (got email Friday) council in my area declared all their pitches unfit, so i send an email to fixtures secretary saying i'm still available if anything come up outside my area (but not too far).
So at 10.45 (k.o. is usually 11.00) hear nothing so take missus to go shopping. And at 11'10 i get a phone call from the fixtures sec. "Can you cover a match the ref's not turned up and both teams are on the pitch waiting." I say have to take missus home get changed, drive to ground (half hour away). So didn't ref the match, and i thought well it was a little bit last minute i know i said i was available but Superman i am not.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Was in the gym at the start of the season, phone rings 5 mins before kick off time, asking me to cover a game. I made it, we kicked off 30 minutes late, game covered.

 

[PP62]

A couple of seasons ago I had a late call off. Phoned my mate about 1/2 hour before kick off to make sure his game was on so I could go and watch. He said "bring your kit, one of the assistants is stuck on the motorway". So, I dashed off; it's a 40 minute journey and put my foot down! Got there 10 minutes after ko time but they had delayed because they knew I was on the way. I got changed and legged it onto the touchline They had a CAR stand in until I was ready but just as the ref blew to start the match I grabbed the flag from his hand, said thanks and got on with it.

 

[RegalRef]

Was in the gym at the start of the season, phone rings 5 mins before kick off time, asking me to cover a game. I made it, we kicked off 30 minutes late, game covered.

And no doubt you got no end of earache from the players regardless of the fact you've done them a favour?

I did a game earlier in the season where I was senior AR. Myself and other AR were there 1 hr before KO as is the requirement in this league, which they are quite strict about.

Ref still wasn't there 5 mins before KO and we couldn't get hold of him, so it was decided I would do the middle and we tossed a coin with the managers to decide which team would supply a CAR. We were under pressure to get going on time because it was a night game and we were cutting it fine with the light even if we kicked off on time.

We got going and for the first 10 minutes the players never stopped going on about it. First caution for dissent after 10 minutes sorted it out.

Ref who was L4 turned up 15 minutes in, very blasé and expecting us to have waited, and also expecting to walk into the middle. I stuck him on the line in place of the CAR, who had done a great job. Latecomers face was priceless.

Was a lot of moaning from speccys as we walked off at full time about swapping etc, but despite the initial damage done to match control by the messing around I had a really good game at a much higher standard that I was used to. Perhaps my best of the season so far, but certainly by that point.

To their credit all the players and both managers were quick to tell me what a good job I'd done, particularly given the circumstances. L4 didn't though. He sulked.

 

[PP62]

Regal Ref, you did the right thing that evening. My understanding is that whoever starts the match completes it so you were correct in letting him sulk. Well done on not allowing anyone talk you into swapping once he arrived. I once faced a similar situation many years ago on a midweek game. The level 4 ref (now 3 and football league line) said if he wasn't there to start without him and he would not expect to step in as referee. He turned up just in time though so denied me the experience.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

And no doubt you got no end of earache from the players regardless of the fact you've done them a favour?

No actually the vast majority were very happy I was there. The one who wasn't looked like he was still wearing nappies when I first picked up a whistle. I didn't have an opportunity to introduce myself formally before I had to caution him, but his team mates tried to help me (and him) but to no avail.