Game 27

I've always hated windy weather and with the temperatures dropping rapidly on Wednesday the wind whipping across the open space next to the 3G field on which tonight's game was played did not make me a happy bunny!

After last week's pleasant run out with two competitive but fair teams I thought this week I'd get another good workout with two evenly matched teams but I was wrong. I should have known something was up when Phil, manager of the team that Fat lad is looking after tomorrow in the League Cup wished me good luck.

The game wasn't very old when I had to make my first intervention and speak strongly with one of the away team. he came to my attention on two further occasions and while trying to keep my cards in my pocket, I knew this lad would be giving me his name before long. He was playing on the left wing and the home team's right wing kept chipping away at him and they clashed once too often so I spoke to both of them.

The away team had just taken a 1-0 lead when I heard a shout from the touchline. Thinking the home team wanted to make a substitution I started towards the touchline. I found that they were actually asking permission to allow a player to re-enter the field. The problem was that he hadn't asked me to leave in the first place. So he received the game's and competition's first caution. He wasn't to be the last in what turned out to be a fractious contest ...

A second away goal was followed closely by my tricky home winger being dispossessed near the half way line. In his opinion it was unfair and decided to mete out his own justice which led to a nasty forehead pressing contest between him and an away player who was at least 6 inches taller. I separated them quickly before they decided to move on to head butting, explained to both players how long they would probably spend out of the game if they had butted each other and promptly cautioned both.

The second half continued along the same lines with the home team becoming increasingly frustrated by the superior skill (and adaptation to the conditions) of the away team. The indiscipline by the away team continued and the winger mentioned earlier did indeed commit another couple of fouls and earned a caution for persistent infringement. The away team added another three goals and suddenly the home team sparked into life and scored a couple of their own, taking the score to 2-5.

The away captain who had been very good all night talking to me and his team, spoiled it all by ignoring a loud whistle for offside by running on and taking his shot on goal. His face fell when he was cautioned and he never spoke to me again until the end of the game. By that time his side had added a sixth goal and the home team just wanted to get home. We finished with 5 cautions split across the two teams, the away team winning 6-2 and I burned off 1453 calories, max 94% average 74%.