Quick post to detail my games this weekend. Feel free to jump on and vent/discuss/details yours.
Saturday, step 6 middle (my 2nd middle at that level). Two top half teams very close in the table. A real stop start game on a very sticky pitch and with a strong wind making passing football almost impossible. Alot of added time due to a neck injury where a player has rolled of the pitch after tackling and in a freak accident has hit his head on the railings. Says he's fit to continue but very proactive management from the away manager and physio ensure hes substituted (he was clearly concussed). 0 yellows in the first half, it's under control and I'm doing well in keeping a potentially volatile game (localish derby and it all went off in the reverse fixture apparently). 3 yellows in the 2nd half but no bad tackles in the game and I'm happy to have the game under control with the away side 1-0. 97th minute (very lengthy injury earlier in the half when the away keeper goes down following a save with a freak back injury), clean tackle on the home teams 18 yard line (no appeals). Home team break and I hear shouts that there's a head injury from the away bench and look back with the tackled player still on the ground holding the back of his knee and definitely no head injury. I carry on and sods law the home team string a move together and equalise. I'm still unsure whether I shouldve brought it back as you could argue it could have been a serious one as the player is still hobbling in the bar after but I'm confident I'm certainly not wrong in allowing play to continue. It wasn't a head injury and didn't seem serious at the time. Anyway, I'm alerted by the AR that the away manager has thrown a load of C bombs at a home team coach so obviously he gets a red. Game restarts and then I blow 30 seconds later for full time. Manager does come in to apologise for his conduct after and we actually have a very sensible conversation about the goal and whilst we don't necessarily agree it was a very respectful conversation and well worth having (if it wasn't I'd have told him to go obviously).
Sunday. 2 of the top 3 teams in the adult Premier division. Home team have alot of players missing and are comfortably beaten 4-0. No cards, could've done it from the car park. Only issue in the game was a couple of spectators running up and down the line trying to film things for social media but a word with them and the manager about controlling them is respectfully recieved and acted upon. I was expecting a feisty encounter but it was as easy as it gets.
Saturday, step 6 middle (my 2nd middle at that level). Two top half teams very close in the table. A real stop start game on a very sticky pitch and with a strong wind making passing football almost impossible. Alot of added time due to a neck injury where a player has rolled of the pitch after tackling and in a freak accident has hit his head on the railings. Says he's fit to continue but very proactive management from the away manager and physio ensure hes substituted (he was clearly concussed). 0 yellows in the first half, it's under control and I'm doing well in keeping a potentially volatile game (localish derby and it all went off in the reverse fixture apparently). 3 yellows in the 2nd half but no bad tackles in the game and I'm happy to have the game under control with the away side 1-0. 97th minute (very lengthy injury earlier in the half when the away keeper goes down following a save with a freak back injury), clean tackle on the home teams 18 yard line (no appeals). Home team break and I hear shouts that there's a head injury from the away bench and look back with the tackled player still on the ground holding the back of his knee and definitely no head injury. I carry on and sods law the home team string a move together and equalise. I'm still unsure whether I shouldve brought it back as you could argue it could have been a serious one as the player is still hobbling in the bar after but I'm confident I'm certainly not wrong in allowing play to continue. It wasn't a head injury and didn't seem serious at the time. Anyway, I'm alerted by the AR that the away manager has thrown a load of C bombs at a home team coach so obviously he gets a red. Game restarts and then I blow 30 seconds later for full time. Manager does come in to apologise for his conduct after and we actually have a very sensible conversation about the goal and whilst we don't necessarily agree it was a very respectful conversation and well worth having (if it wasn't I'd have told him to go obviously).
Sunday. 2 of the top 3 teams in the adult Premier division. Home team have alot of players missing and are comfortably beaten 4-0. No cards, could've done it from the car park. Only issue in the game was a couple of spectators running up and down the line trying to film things for social media but a word with them and the manager about controlling them is respectfully recieved and acted upon. I was expecting a feisty encounter but it was as easy as it gets.
), so a caution for him, and a trip to the sin bin for one of his teammates who stood there sarcastically applauding me! Couple more cautions for the home team towards the end as they were defending their lead, and the game (eventually) finishes 2-1.
