The Ref Stop

Strangest reason for having to stop a game?

fatmikey

Member
Level 6 Referee
Whats the strangest thing you've had to stop a game for?

Ive had unreasonable pigeons, wayward children, dogs, cats, hailstones and a motorbike to name but a few
 
The Ref Stop
My strangest would be the motorbike too, about half an hour in on a Sunday morning when about 4 guys came on with motorbikes weaving in and out of the players all over the pitch for about 10 minutes, apparently they were rather well known and not the kind of guys you tackle if you know what i mean. All i know is that they were dead big and dead clever!
 
Slight delay in the kick-off for swans from the nearby canal
Be careful with those swans - The Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open waters and upsetting the Crown may damage your promotion prospects.

Thankfully, the Queen only exercises her right on stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries and I don't think that stretches to Derbyshire. However, the ownership of the remaining mute swans is shared by Dyers' Company or Vintner's Company. I have no idea on their influence within the FA.

So next time you have swans on the pitch, abandon immediately and sing God Save the Queen to be sure.
 
On November 6th, turned up to a pitch on a well known bad part of hull to find a burnt out tesco shopping trolley with aerosol cans still smouldering in the centre circle :(
 
Pre-season friendly, had to temporarily stop play due to a swarm of bees thinking a football pitch was a good place to hover for 5 minutes
 
I wasnt reffing but i was playing in a game and it got stopped after 20 minutes because a co-op got set alight by arsonists a few hours before the game and the wind changed direction and blew the smoke over our pitch making it very hard to see and breathe!
 
No strictly a stoppage, but what about the Conference game recently at Eastleigh? The visitors (can't remember who but I think a North West team) has stayed overnight at the Southampton Hilton (a rich North West team?) but in the morning the hotel sauna caught fire and everyone evacuated, including the visiting team. The fire brigade refused to allow anyone in the building to collect their gear so, they had no kit, boots etc. The game was then postponed because they had no kit.
 
Had two games back to back recently. Half way through the second EVERYONE is shouting at me. Turns out an ambulance is half way across the pitch to help a player from the previous game. Obviously th fact it took me so long to notice provoke much joking about refereeing with my eyes closed! In fairness I had my back to th ambulance at this time. Still not notice g a giant van with flashing blue lights is a bit worrying!
 
On November 6th, turned up to a pitch on a well known bad part of hull to find a burnt out tesco shopping trolley with aerosol cans still smouldering in the centre circle :(

Mine is similar, turned up to find that person or persons unknown had held a bonfire on pitch the evening before.

Ground was hot to the touch, so had to get buckets of water put on area to cool it down before we could play!
 
Mine is similar, turned up to find that person or persons unknown had held a bonfire on pitch the evening before.

Ground was hot to the touch, so had to get buckets of water put on area to cool it down before we could play!

Called the game off due to waterlogged pitch?
 
I had a lady spectator on the side lines who's water had broken in the first half go into full blown labour through the second half. An ambulance was called & turned up with 2 minutes left, parking on the pitch. Score was 5-2 at the time & both teams agreed to call it a day rather than wait for the ambulance to leave.
 
I had a lady spectator on the side lines who's water had broken in the first half go into full blown labour through the second half. An ambulance was called & turned up with 2 minutes left, parking on the pitch. Score was 5-2 at the time & both teams agreed to call it a day rather than wait for the ambulance to leave.
So many questions (that nobody could really know, I don't suppose) why come to football in that state? Why didn't she get herself to hospital when her waters broke? Who waits for an ambulance?

:D
 
Monkey, you're trying to apply logic where logic doesn't apply there mate!

In my experience there's only one thing more illogical than your average woman; a pregnant one! :p
 
Temporarily stopped a game for 5 minutes at u11 level as almost all of the players laces had come undone. Quite comical.
 
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