Members Blogs

What doesn't kill me can only make me stronger ... Harumph to that statement. I'm currently on day 5 of taking oral antibiotics (phenoxymthylpenicillin 250mgx2 anyone? Maybe a flucloxacillin 500mg is more to your liking?) to continue the treatment of my sore elbow. A lot of people would love to have time off work at this time of year but for me it detracts from my own preparations for Christmas. I don't need time to go out shopping. After last year where I spent unhappy hours tramping from shop to shop on the trail of an elusive present, I gone back to shopping online. Online shopping certainly fits in with my "Not fit for work" lifestyle. The strength of the antibiotics make me fatigued and unable to concentrate, often drifting away...

It seems that the Spurs fans have confused Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, with Premier League Referee, Chris Foy. Following the recent Stoke Spurs game at the weekend, the Spurs fans went to twitter and gave Sir Chris a bit of grief over decisions during the game. It seems quite obvjous that there not the same person, however this didnt stop this blog getting 200 threats when Howard Webb gave a penalty against Poland at Euro 2008! Continue reading...

I'm not the best of patients. The routine of carefully timed taking of tablets/capsules to ensure they are taken on an empty stomach/full stomach/with food doesn't fit in with my often full days. That isn't a problem for the next week as I'm officially on rest. For the first time in 25 years I have been declared unfit for work and will remain so until I have been reviewed at a clinic later this week. It also means that my plans for pre-Christmas drinks have been put on hold as they interfere with the antibiotics I'm taking (well until Friday at least). Perhaps that's just as well as I have very little energy and a hangover would probably wipe me out. I can drive for short distances but after taking a trip to the County FA to check on...

Umpire Peter Wright caused a lot of confusion among the players during the hockey match between New Zealand and The Netherlands for the 3rd place in the Champion’s Trophy. The video referee got to answer the question whether the ball has touched a Dutch foot, which is not allowed in field hockey. The South African match official took some initiative and also told the umpires on the pitch that the ball was out just before the ball has touched a Dutch foot. And that’s what he wasn’t supposed to do. In field hockey a team can call for a video referee just once and when they got it right, they still keep that opportunity. About the same as the hawk-eye system in tennis, only with less opportunities. The Dutch team should have questioned if...

Around 2:30pm, just as the Southampton vs. Blackpool was coming to an end the doctor came up to check on me for one last time. He was very interested in the score as he does some work for West Ham in the summer, so when Southampton were losing (just before they equalised in the 3rd minute of added time) he was very pleased. He said I could go home dispatched me with two different types of antibiotic to be taken 4 times a day for a week and two different types of painkillers, one to be taken 4 times a day and the other 3 times a time. So a quick phone call to my wife and she set off to pick me up but I still had time to enjoy a Christmas Carol concert in the lobby of the hospital before she arrived. So thank you to all the doctors...

The doctor who came to see me five hours after he originally planned to, explained that my review had been overlooked as the senior ? from day one had been with patients all day, primarily in the operating theatre. I could understand that as a fat bald ex-referee with a red/green elbow being treated by antibiotics by IV was definitely low level priority to what I regarded as people who were properly ill or injured, so hadn't minded too much, except for the extended fast in the morning. I'd managed to contact JDB and he had dropped in to collect the exam papers, Offside DVD and name badges needed for the second part of the new referees course on Sunday, so that had taken away one headache. The doctor was happy that I was making good...

I slept through to around half seven before being woken for another blood pressure test. I was keeping the levels down by resting but got bored. I was told that I had to wear a pair of support stockings. These are to stop patients developing Deep Vein Thrombosis caused by not moving around a lot. I refused and took to wandering around the corridor chatting to the nurses and auxiliaries Everyone has been so very professional and despite the occasional gossip, they appear to be a closely knit and highly regarded team, entirely devoted to caring for their patients BUT occasionally they need a little change of pace to deal with matters and on day three no one appeared to want to demonstrate that for the fat bald man with the infected...

Being woken at 2am for a blood pressure check is not my idea of fun but apparently it was necessary. It came back as 106/64 - I was in good shape but my blood oxygen was 93% so I lost the points gained for the low blood pressure. I was awake and ready for the next test at 6am and my first round of IV. I was told the doctor was making his rounds and he would call in soon. He appeared almost straight away and through my bleary haze I gathered that he had decided on a plan of action but wanted his senior (colleague? consultant? registrar?) to review it. Meanwhile I was on instructions of nil by mouth as I was expected to head out for surgery later that morning. The senior ? arrived and explained that he wanted to avoid surgery and...

So the plans for the week were in danger of being completely wiped out... Wednesday I was continuing to do the preparations for the 2nd day of the latest Basic Course for New Referees at WRCFA HQ, including writing up the marks awarded for the candidates efforts on the practical exercises from the first day (last Sunday). Thursday I was attending my son's school Nativity play where he was part of the "musicians" group playing a number of instruments (mostly percussion!) and singing. Friday I was looking forward to watching my newly upgraded SKY TV channels, having conceded defeat to a nice little Welsh telephone salesman who phoned when I was busy doing something else and allowed him to persuade me that the £5.12 per month...

Apart from colds and the occasional cough I don't do "ill". I got a major surprise on Wednesday of this week when I woke up to find that I couldn't straighten my left arm. I appeared to have acquired a lump the size (and colour) of a small lemon on my left elbow and it was sore. Sore is an understatement. Sore is when you bump your head on a cupboard door. Sore is when stub your toe. Sore is when you graze your knee. Sore is not how you would describe the sense of agony you experience when you hit your thumb (hard!) with a hammer nor when you stand on an upturned electrical plug in the dark nor when you break a glass while washing up and realise that the washing up water is turning bright red. Imagine all of those sensations combined...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. “After the match we change clothes, fill out the match form and send it via iPhone.” International referee Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands on the modern way of sending the match report in the weekly section on the Dutch FA website. “It was a real shock and probably the most disappointing decision of my career.” Graham Poll about missing the Euro 2004 in Portugal. “The top two is the same every season, of course.” One of the players in the Scilly league on group of islands on the south-western tip of England. The comptition contains two teams who play each...

‘Let adversity be your calatyst to greatness Lucas’, is what referee Adrian Skeete tweeted to Lucas Leiva from Liverpool. That motto has brought the referee from Barbados on the international refereeing list. This is the third part of an interview by Dutch Referee Blog with him. You can read part one and part two on this blog. How do you think of goal-line-technology? “With the game changing on a constant basis, with new technology being used to create lightweight balls, ‘techfit’, aerodynamic clothing for players, nutrition and training providing intensely high fitness levels of players; I believe it would benefit football referees greatly by introducing technology into the game.” “Although this is true, we have to draw the line...

Supporting Leeds United through the 80s and 90s provided a rollercoaster ride of relative highs and lows as the once great club initially looked to some old boys (Billy Bremner, Allan Clarke and Eddie Gray) to raise them back to the level many of the fans thought they deserved to occupy. The truth was that too much was expected too soon of so many young players and when they did begin to develop into effective professionals, too often this happened after they had left the club (David Seaman, Dennis Irwin, Tommy Wright to name a few). This meant the club languished in the old Second Division for longer than they cared to with the excitement of challenging in the end of season play-offs and the FA Cup semi-final, the only bright lights...

Adrian Skeete has officiated his last match for 2011 already. The season final was this week. “And it went well”, says the referee from Barbados. This is the second part of an interview by Dutch Referee Blog with him. You can read part one here. How do Concacaf and Fifa support you in becoming a top referee? “I’m in the Refereee’s Assistance Programme, which is a project put together by FIFA to assist in the growth and development and all referees. Making sure we interpret, and implement the LOTG the game, providing fit, healthy, consistent quality referees in the region.” Logo Concacaf “To date there are no full-time or professional Referees in the Caribbean Football Union. This, however, is not because of lack of talent, fitness, or...

Adrian Skeete wants to be world’s best referee. This year the 33-year-old from Barbados made his debut on the international Fifa referee list. Dutch Referee Blog interviewed him. This is part 1, the rest will be published later this week. Adrian Skeete Twitter picture How did you become a referee? “Football and sports – and my wife of course – have always been my love of my life. As a young child I had always envisioned becoming a Premier League football player, but I was never really good enough.” “During a holiday in Barbados, I met my future wife at the age of sixteen and instantly fell in love with her, but we lost touch. By chance at twenty-one – five years – later, we met again, and we’ve never looked back. She convinced me...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. “It doesn’t cost you a title. Every time they have won the title they have had decisions that have gone their way big style.” Graham Poll criticizes sir Alex Ferguson after another referee blast from Manchester United’s coach. “I want you to know that you played a part in my refereeing career – even those of you who criticized are part of what made me a better referee.” Said Héctor Vergara before his last international match ever. The Canadian assistant referee retired on 11-11-11. Read the interview of the Dutch Referee Blog with Vergara here. “Discipline in...

Fresh form 5 days away in sherwood forest and all the Christmas lights. This weekend sees no football for me however will see the yearly battle with the Christmas tree! My wife wants to put it up early this year for the little one which is fair enough. Where will you be this weekend? Post your game below Continue reading...

Referee Markus Wingenbach cancelled a goal in the German Bundesliga match between SC Freiburg and Hertha BSC. But was it a right decision? Freiburg players celebrated a goal, which was approved by the Wingenbach. But after a discussion with his assistant, the referee let the cornerball be retaken. Take a look at the position off the ball. Would you order a re-take? Here’s what the Laws off the Game mention about the position of the ball with a corner kick: Continue reading...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. “The look on their face is priceless when I appear in my referee uniform.” Barry Cook becomes a Scottish top class referee instead of goalie on high level. Worth reading monologue from Cook. “So I used to do the lines and slowly I got a passion for refereeing.” Mohammed Salim was named as one of the best referees of Fiji. “We’ll definately go talk with the father and we send an apology letter to the referee.” A member of a Dutch sports club after a parent of his club scared a 12-year-old referee off, so that he left the pitch and went crying to the dressing...

Over the weekend there has been the shocking news coming from Germany of the attempted suicide by Babak Rafati the Bundesliga Referee. Details are not clear, however his assistatns were concerend that he was 15 minutes late for their pre match meeting at the hotel. When they entered his room following asstiance from hotel staff he was found in the bath having cut his wrists. The match he was due to take charge of Cologne and Mainz, was abdonded and rightly so. While this is worrying news on its own. I wonder what the issue with German football is. Over recent years there has been the suicide of Robert Enke, the German national team keeper. THere has also been Breno the Bayern Munich defender who set fire to his own home. Also...