Game 22

Timing is everything in comedy and it certainly seems that way with today's events.

I arrived early for a District Cup game which had been postponed from last week because the home team were involved in the Carlsberg FA Sunday Cup. The last time I refereed at this ground I had 11 cautions (maybe 10), 1 dismissal and a misconduct charge for spectator comments. It may have been the lowest point of my refereeing career.

Today I stepped out and spoke to both captains at the coin toss, letting them know that if I called them in to talk to a player, then I expected 100% support from them. Anything less would mean that I wouldn't call them in again. The game got underway and I exerted my authority in full letting things go, calling lost advantages back and thoroughly enjoying the contest between the 2nd place team in the Premier Division (home) against the leaders of Division One (away).

I only had a problem with one player and having spoken to him twice, he tried charging down a free kick awarded against him. Not surprisingly, I had no voices protesting his caution. We reached half time at 0-0 and I was pleased with my level of intervention.

The second half kicked off and I noticed that I had an ache in my right ankle. It was something that I had felt a few times in the last couple of months but I have always managed to run off. This time I noticed a definite change in the symptoms as the pain intensified when I tried to push off on a run, rather than maintain a pace.

After 10 minutes I chased a long ball into the away team penalty area and signalled the resulting corner kick. When the ball was played across the goal, the goalkeeper was impeded (with contact) and I awarded a free kick to the defending team. As I turned to run out to my wide position to observe the drop zone something clicked in my ankle and I couldn't put any weight at all on my foot.

I spoke to the goalkeeper to ask him to delay his free kick, signalled to the home team's technical area and limped to the touchline. I called both captains in and explained that I was unable to continue, they needed to agree a replacement referee and the replacement would have the full authority in relation to all aspects of managing the game.

So with a suitable replacement agreed, the game restarted. It was interesting to watch an untrained referee miss late challenges that a trailing eye would have picked up, ignore heavy challenges that should have warranted a free kick and miss completely a number of incidents involving head to head contact!

The away team took the lead shortly after the restart and the home team equalised soon afterwards. Despite a number of chances, neither team could score a winning goal, so the game went to extra time. In extra time, the away team went ahead again but the home team equalised so it was 2-2. Then just after the start of the second period of extra time, the home team scored what turned out to be the deciding goal.

It was, in truth, a cracking cup game with total commitment from both sides. I believe that my softly, softly approach in the period I looked after enhanced the game and the replacement referee, with all his omissions, added to the excitement.

So it looks like I will be out for a few weeks. As for the timing ... at tomorrow evening's RA meeting, our guest speaker is the physio for a local Unibond team and will be speaking on the subject of Sporting Injuries and their management!