Dr Ben Ives
Ben
Blue Number Four scoops up the ball and wipes away the moisture in a makeshift pouch in front of his shirt whilst hastily scouting the pitch for an available and well-positioned teammate. Gallin blows again on his whistle. ‘Red throw. It’s red ball,’ he says with some conviction.
The spectators exchange looks and a murmur of bewilderment encircles the pitch. An air of displeasure radiates from the Blue players and wraiths across the frosted grass to Gallin’s lonely position. ‘Maybe I got that one wrong,’ he thinks to himself, gently chewing the corner of his bottom lip and replaying the decision in his head. ‘My position wasn’t great, looked to have come off Blue but I didn’t have a clear line of sight. ****!’
‘Make a mistake there, do you think, ref?’ Asks Blue Number Four ****ily as he jogs by.
‘Yeah, perhaps, but that’s the first I’ve made, you’ve made five already,’ Gallin retorts with a wink and a smile. He senses some relief when Number Four grins back. He got away with this one, it didn’t really matter. But the next one might.
Please share your response on the forum or private message us if you prefer.
When responding to our stories, you might consider the following:
o Do our stories resonate or remind you of a ‘real’ scenario that you have witnessed or been involved in? If so, please share the scenario with us in as much detail as possible.
o Do our stories reflect a problem or issue in football that you think needs to be addressed? If so, please tell us why it is an issue and what you might propose to resolve the issue.
o Conversely, do our stories reflect something that is good about the game – a reason for your continued passion and involvement? If so, please tell us about this.
o Reflecting on your own experiences, is there anything missing from our story that you think is important to highlight? If so, please share with us some of your experiences and interactions with referees, giving as much detail as possible.
We would also welcome more general feedback from the football community about the ‘realness’ of our stories.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Ben Ives and Ben Clayton
The spectators exchange looks and a murmur of bewilderment encircles the pitch. An air of displeasure radiates from the Blue players and wraiths across the frosted grass to Gallin’s lonely position. ‘Maybe I got that one wrong,’ he thinks to himself, gently chewing the corner of his bottom lip and replaying the decision in his head. ‘My position wasn’t great, looked to have come off Blue but I didn’t have a clear line of sight. ****!’
‘Make a mistake there, do you think, ref?’ Asks Blue Number Four ****ily as he jogs by.
‘Yeah, perhaps, but that’s the first I’ve made, you’ve made five already,’ Gallin retorts with a wink and a smile. He senses some relief when Number Four grins back. He got away with this one, it didn’t really matter. But the next one might.
Please share your response on the forum or private message us if you prefer.
When responding to our stories, you might consider the following:
o Do our stories resonate or remind you of a ‘real’ scenario that you have witnessed or been involved in? If so, please share the scenario with us in as much detail as possible.
o Do our stories reflect a problem or issue in football that you think needs to be addressed? If so, please tell us why it is an issue and what you might propose to resolve the issue.
o Conversely, do our stories reflect something that is good about the game – a reason for your continued passion and involvement? If so, please tell us about this.
o Reflecting on your own experiences, is there anything missing from our story that you think is important to highlight? If so, please share with us some of your experiences and interactions with referees, giving as much detail as possible.
We would also welcome more general feedback from the football community about the ‘realness’ of our stories.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Ben Ives and Ben Clayton
