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Yellow Card!

Conduct reportPic of the week 18/9/16

Issued my first “report-able” yellow card today. Stone wall yellow, with approx 10 mins to go, stripes throw in near stripes goal. Not contentious, no one disagrees.  Ball on the deck – stationary – waiting for stripes to come over and take the throw. Red kicks the ball away, beyond the goal line. Silly & unnecessary, call the lad over, ask him what he thinks is going to happen next – says he’s not sure, tell him he’s going to get a yellow, which I then administer.  No big drama – a good one to break my duck. No need to ponder it.  Think he might have been a little surprised, probably never happened to him before; hope he’s learned his lesson and doesn’t do it again.

On the whole, was not a bad match to ref.  Standard of football was quite poor – both sides had yet to register a point, but seemed to be more about 22 lads enjoying a game on a Sunday afternoon, and you can’t fault that.

Fell my ref-ing continues to improve with experience, feel I had a good game today (definitely my refereeing was better than the football being played) and I’m really starting to enjoy it. Still much to learn, but all good. (Except haven’t been paid – yet – for this game. Home team coach was surprised when I asked for match fee.  Says it gets paid by club (Somerton FC) he will investigate for me (and I shan’t let i lie either!)

Match Stats

Somerton U16 0 Pen Mill U16 1

Under 16, Yeovil & District League Youth League, U16

1 Yellows (C4) 0 Reds

Match fee: tbc

 

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Common People – William Shatner


Track of the week 11/9/16
The best cover. Ever.

A brilliant track, brilliantly (and slightly bonkersly) covered by Star Trek’s William Shatner. And then some genius goes and adds it to a mash up of Star Trek footage. Superb.

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Back To School

Back to school (1024x1024)Pic of the week 11/9/16

So (sadly!) this week we all returned to school – Sophie to start in the Sixth Form(!) and Sam into Y10, both at The Blue School (and me back to Millfield) – and time for the obligatory start of the year pic.

Sam has become a giant, towering over his big sister, must to his delight, and her chagrin. (He still hasn’t quite reached my height yet, much to my delight, and his chagrin.)

The pic below shows the transformation over the last four years.  Frightening!

back to school 2 (722x721)

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Summer Hols July & Aug 16

So, sadly, the summer hols draw to a close. Its been a great summer holiday, I’ve really enjoyed it despite not going away.

Some of my highlights, in roughly chronological order:

  • Did my referees course, and ref’ed 4 games
  • Saw Take That in Hyde Park with Becky
  • Sam & I survived a week at home alone as Becky & Sophie traveled to Sorento.
  • Fixed the boiler (dodgy microswitch not “making”. A simple cardboard insert between striker & switch fixed the problem)
  • Watched “Game of Thrones” Season Six
  • Swam 1480 lengths – 49.33 km – including one 3Km swim
  • Graveled the back garden and side return
  • Took out stone fireplace and re-clad with tongue & groove (ready for painting)
  • Read 5 good books
  • Swam in the sea (disappointingly cold, making it a very brief dip), swam in the Penzance Lido – a bit warmer and a lot more fun.
  • Sophie got her GCSE results: 2 A*, 4 As & 4 Bs,
  • Ran 150 Km, including to runs to and up the Tor (only ran, off and on, about a third of the way up the Tor)
  • Re-watched Breaking Bad in its entirety
  • Started attending Spinning Classes
  • Lots of great family time
  • The weather – whilst not often super sunny, was pretty dry for most of the time.
  • End of hols weight circa 12 stone 12

Alas, tomorrow its back to school. ‘Til next year …

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Charlton United v Manor Athletic

charlton v manorRefereed first competitive league game today, Charlton United V Manor Athletic in Division One of the Yeovil and District League.

The game will, perhaps, best be remembered for the rain, which started at kick off and didn’t let up for the whole game.

The standard of football was much lower than the other games I have ref’d, I think that makes it easier, partly because the pace isn’t quite so quick.

Thought I refereed well in the first half, in fact thought I refereed well throughout the game, but it got tougher in the second half.  Charlton (home team in Orange) were 3 nil down at half time, but bounced back to 2-3 after about 20 mins of the second half, their first goal being a penalty for handball.  Some (inevitable) complaints, but more from the (defenders) left hand side of the box, the handball was on the right hand side. With the game now close, players getting tired and the rain relentless, the heat of the game was rising and I did have to take some affirmative action to calm things down. I wasn’t tolerating any chat, didn’t use any cards, but did use my teacher stare (on grown men with beards!) a few times to good effect. I think I kept a lid on what could have become a quite tetchy affair.  Nonetheless, I was pleased when the clock ticked through to 45 mins and I could blow the final whistle – some handbags were close to getting swung.

Felt positioning and fitness was good.  Most decisions were right and rapport with players good. Much fewer of the “unsure” decisions and limited to the last 10 mins. On the whole, I think I did well. I certainly think the standard of my refereeing was higher than the standard of the football.

As I write, three hours after the final whistle, having dried off and the criticisms fade into vague memories, I would say that I enjoyed it!

Match Stats

Charlton United 2 Manor Athletic 3

Open Age, Yeovil & District League, Division 1

0 Yellows 0 Reds

Match fee: £30

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Fat Boy Stomp – James Taylor Quartet


Track of the week 28/8/16
A bit of Acid Jazz funkiness at its best.

Top tune, can be found on the “Wait a Minute” LP which I have (and, at the time of writing, can be found in the under the eaves cupboard on my side of the bedroom 😉 )

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Sophie’s exam results

Sophie exam results (1024x1024)Pic of the week 28/8/16

So, after what seemed liked a long wait since June, Thursday morning arrived, along with Sophie’s GCSE results.

I never doubted her, and she got 2 x A*, 4 x A and 4 x B’s – an excellent and well deserved haul.

A*s in maths & textiles, A’s in Science, Add Science, Geography and IT (BTEC distinction), Bs in Eng Lit, Eng Lang, Drama & German.

Very proud of her!

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Yeovil Town FC Ladies Development Squad v Cyncoed Ladies FC

Yeovil ladies logo
This afternoon I refereed a pre-season friendly game between Yeovil Town FC Ladies Development Squad and Cyncoed Ladies FC from the Welsh Premier Women’s League and it was an absolute pleasure.
 
My decisions, right or wrong, were accepted with good grace, players didn’t react or flare up when fouled, no back chat, I didn’t hear “in the back, ref” once. A fair way into the first half (first third) I realised I hadn’t yet blown my whistle, so I made a mental note to check the time when I first did: 14 mins into the game, and that was for an off-side!
And the standard of football was pretty good, too, particularly from Yeovil: pass and move, pass and move, rather than hoof and hope found in many men’s games. All capped off with a couple strikes that would have graced the game at any level.
 
For the record, Yeovil won 8-0.

Match Stats

Yeovil Town FC Ladies Development Squad 8 Cyncoed Ladies FC 0

Open Age friendly, three 30 minute thirds

0 Yellows 0 Reds

Match fee: £25

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Flames of Desire – ABC, & Piano Man – Billy Joel


Track of the week 21/8/16
Forget to do a track of the week last week, so a double bonus this week!
The first, a new track from ABC. I heard it on the radio a few times and thought it was an oldie from ABC, but its a new release. I do like it.

Bonus track of the week 21/8/16
Billy Joel’s Piano Man – you need to listen to the lyrics of this song and enjoy the story along with the music.

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Paint-balling

Sam and Oli paintballingPic of the week 21/8/16

Yesterday Sam & I joined Rog, Joe, Ned & Oli for a day’s paintballing for Joe & Ned’s birthday.

Sam & I set off at 8.30am to collect Oli before heading to Delta Paintballing, right by Bristol Airport where we met Rog & co. and a few of their friends.  We got kitted up and headed into the wood to do battle for the first of six game scenarios (or “maps” as today’s youth, brought up on a diet of CoD, would say.)

Was good fun but physically quite demanding.  Day was dry for the most part, but we had a heavy shower around lunchtime which led to one’s googles fogging up in the later games.  This, perhaps, explains the “patricide” incident: in the Zombie Apocalypse game  had gotten myself into a good position, sheltered by an Iso container, just shy of the enemy forces in front of me.  I was taking stock of my position, pondering my next move when I was raked by fire from above and behind!! Hit several times, there was nothing left for me but to accept my demise, hold my hand up and troop back to the deadzone to re-spawn.  As I did, I called up to the tower to my rear to see if the blues had taken it, or if it was still in red hands. It was the latter, I was the victim of friendly fire – at the hands of my son!

Ah, the fog of war.