Game 6

Field like a strength sapping axminster carpet, legs like lead from training last night and wearing new boots (with studs) for the first time in 10 months, not really a good combination for today's game.

Things started well enough as I noted neither penalty mark was the required distance from the goal line and no equipment available to make new marks. The penalty arcs were therefore a yard short and I then noted that the centre circle was marked out at 9.15 yards and not 9.15 metres.

So all these matters were advised as being reported and I decided we should press ahead with the game. Now I sometimes wonder if it's me and others I know it's not. In the first 10 minutes today, I had 3-4 players run into me. I hadn't changed my patrol path, proximity to play or angle of observation, it just seemed these players kept "accidentally" running into me, then getting on my case for being in the way. After one player had done it twice, I spoke firmly to him and loudly enough for everyone on the field and around it, that I wasn't going to tolerate what I regarded as dissent. He complained again a few minutes later and I cautioned him.

Now miraculously, this killed every single instance of dissent for the next 25 minutes AND players seemed to avoid me quite easily. Once the players started concentrating on playing football, they played some of the best football I have ever seen as a referee. Tackles were well timed, passes were accurate, aerial challenges were all fair and I found myself able to take a back seat.

The away team scored after quarter of an hour and the home team equalised within a few minutes with a beatifully flighted free kick from around 25 yards out in a central position. The away team re-established their lead with a breath taking move which swept from one side of the field to the other, back again and back again before a low hard cross was turned into his own goal by a despairing defender who had been turned inside out more than once in the move. It was simply fantastic.

Unfortunately the away coach kept challenging my decisions and I took the opportunity of a break in play to remind him that I couldn't spend time answering his questions while looking after the 22 players inside the white lines. I asked him to come and see me at half time or full time if he wanted to talk to me.

The away team scored another goal almost from the restart and the home team scored with an overhead kick a few minutes later. This goal wasn't disputed at the time and we reached half time without any further goals or cautions.

The second half kicked off and for another long period I had little to do until a player went to ground in the penalty area. He made no claim but the opposition claimed he had attempted to deceive me, i.e. simulation. In fact one pushed this player around and I had to step in, issuing a caution to him (the pusher) to diffuse the situation.

Each team scored another goal to take it to 3-4 and then the away team thought they had scored another goal, but I had already blown my whistle for dangerous play. The spectators and a couple of the players claimed it was like the earlier overhead kick but from my position, it looked like a straight forward boot to nose kind of challenge!

The game limped through to the final whistle and then I received some apologies for the dissent and the spectator comments. In fact further apologies were made in the clubhouse afterwards. It made me realise that some people can completely detach the person from the uniform when considering referees out on the field and then expect it all to be forgotten when he changes back into his suit. It's frustrating but something I'm trying to deal with. Calories 1551, max 91%, average 77%.

As for the new boots, I'm not convinced that studs are as good as wider spread of blade type soles. My feet hurt ...