A&H

Stressful Experiences

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PinnerPaul

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As a follow up to 'Strange Experiences' I'm after situations where real life meets refereeing with the envitable stress!

I'll go with this example that came to mind as I was driving past the pitch recently.

Cup Game (U15s or similar) Sunday morning, close game. Near the end I overruled CAR for a (to me) pretty obvious wrong throw in call. Of course oppo scored the winner from said throw, but only after I ruled the ball HAD crossed the line before being cleared. FT soon after with several people not happy! Turn on my phone to find a message from Production Manager at work telling me that a Presenter insists I ring her immediately to explain why she hasn't been paid!

Meanwhile CAR isn't happy, manager isn't happy and threatening to not pay me and I still have to sort out said Presenter!

In the end I DID get paid, calmed the presenter down (she got paid in the end as well) and a 'dog walker' even told me that the ball HAD crossed the line! :)
 
The Referee Store
was doing a cup game in the centre of york one sunday morning, junior cup game over in malton that afternoon (good 30 min drive away) but loads of time between games...

cup game was entertaining...5-4, broken ankle, delay waiting for an ambulance, and in the last seconds of the game a proper assault player on player resulting in a broken jaw (and me having to attend court a year later as a witness to ABH)...no answer from anyone at the junior game, drove like a maniac and ran onto the pitch as they were about to start. insanely stressful few hours!
 
Most of my stressful experiences have been travel related.

Remember having to do a game in Bournemouth bank holiday august weekend in the scorching heat. We all travelled down together and the normal 50 minute trip took 2 1/2 hours. Thankfully we’d factored in some extra travel time so we got there well in advance of kickoff and also beat the away team there as well!

Had a couple of potentially squeaky experiences for games on the Isle of Wight as well, as reliant on the boat over and back! I do know of a referee that missed the last boat back and ended up having to sleep in his car and get the first one the following day!
 
Had a 7:45 Tuesday night Conference game at Dartford (versus Barnet). Referee wanted us there at 5:30 so I left before 4pm to leave plenty of time. I arrived at 7:55, so yes, 10 minutes after kick off. Blackwall tunnel was closed due to an accident so I started to head for the Dartford crossing only for the traffic news to say that had been closed due to high winds. Headed back into London to use the Rotherhithe tunnel only to find that had been closed, so that left Tower Bridge. By now we were right in the middle of rush hour and anyone that knows London knows Tower Bridge at rush hour is a nightmare, add that to the next three crossings being closed and you can magnify it by a hundred.

Was on the phone with the referee on and off the whole way there (hands free), and the only saving grace was that the Barnet team coach pulled into the car park directly after me (had someone told me they were stuck I may have been less stressed). Four hours to drive 35 miles, only in London :(
 
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RustyRef said:
Had a 7:45 Tuesday night Conference game at Dartford (versus Barnet). Referee wanted us there at 5:30 so I left before 4pm to leave plenty of time. I arrived at 7:55, so yes, 10 minutes after kick off. Blackwall tunnel was closed due to an accident so I started to head for the Dartford crossing only for the traffic news to say that had been closed due to high winds. Headed back into London to use the Rotherhithe tunnel only to find that had been closed, so that left Tower Bridge. By now we were right in the middle of rush hour and anyone that knows London knows Tower Bridge at rush hour is a nightmare, add that to the next three crossings being closed and you can magnify it by a hundred.

Was on the phone with the referee on and off the whole way there (hands free), and the only saving grace was that the Dartford team coach pulled into the car park directly after me (had someone told me they were stuck I may have been less stressed). Four hours to drive 35 miles, only in London :(
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Bet you got home in under an hour! ;)
 
RustyRef said:
Probably, although it would have been later than normal as the kick off was seriously delayed.
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Only said that because with nearly Isthmian U18 and U23 I do, it always takes at least double the time to get there, than it does to get home!

Very very difficult in London area judging departure times for evening games.
 
Happened last night. Mansfield Ref stuck in traffic, replaced by a local R at the last moment. Game KO half an hour late. Stress with a capital S
 
PinnerPaul said:
Only said that because with nearly Isthmian U18 and U23 I do, it always takes at least double the time to get there, than it does to get home!

Very very difficult in London area judging departure times for evening games.
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Yes, invariably end up late, or more likely mega early due to having left way more time than should be necessary. Even in the middle of lockdown, there's chaos on the North Circular tonight and if I was driving to a game that would be me late.
 
Big Cat said:
Happened last night. Mansfield Ref stuck in traffic, replaced by a local R at the last moment. Game KO half an hour late. Stress with a capital S
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Not just the referee, Carlisle were stuck in the same accident so they were late as well.
 
Had a problem at one semi professional ground whereby the council insisted that floodlights turned off at a specific time, which didn't allow much leeway for late kick offs for evening games!
 
PinnerPaul said:
Had a problem at one semi professional ground whereby the council insisted that floodlights turned off at a specific time, which didn't allow much leeway for late kick offs for evening games!
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It will have been a condition of the planning approval, a small win for The community who objected I guess.
I never really understand it though because if they go off at 10 or 10:30 what's the major difference there.
They could always apply to have the restriction removed.
 
JamesL said:
It will have been a condition of the planning approval, a small win for The community who objected I guess.
I never really understand it though because if they go off at 10 or 10:30 what's the major difference there.
They could always apply to have the restriction removed.
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Yes I think that was the reason James, can't remember exactly what ground it was. If I recall correctly it was the away team who were delayed and the home team were getting 'twitchy'
 
PinnerPaul said:
Yes I think that was the reason James, can't remember exactly what ground it was. If I recall correctly it was the away team who were delayed and the home team were getting 'twitchy'
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I seem to remember that Oxhey Jets have that problem, in that the lights have to be off by a set time. Don't know if it is still the case, but they used to kick off at 19:30 for that reason.
 
RustyRef said:
I seem to remember that Oxhey Jets have that problem, in that the lights have to be off by a set time. Don't know if it is still the case, but they used to kick off at 19:30 for that reason.
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Not unique then, my example would have been in Middlesex, but my memory has definitely 'lost' exactly where!
 
Justylove said:
Most of my stressful experiences have been travel related.

Remember having to do a game in Bournemouth bank holiday august weekend in the scorching heat. We all travelled down together and the normal 50 minute trip took 2 1/2 hours. Thankfully we’d factored in some extra travel time so we got there well in advance of kickoff and also beat the away team there as well!

Had a couple of potentially squeaky experiences for games on the Isle of Wight as well, as reliant on the boat over and back! I do know of a referee that missed the last boat back and ended up having to sleep in his car and get the first one the following day!
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isle of wight football league is crap
 
gaygus91 said:
isle of wight football league is crap
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I've only ever done supply league games over there, but there are a couple of very good teams in the local league that could easily play at Step 6 or above. The biggest issue for them is the travel and seriously late nights for midweek away games with the required boat trips.

Considering the size of the Island, 3 teams playing at supply league level is pretty decent going.
 
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