HOT CHOCOLATE

Having refereed a match in division B intermediate in the S.I.L. 2:30 pm K.O. only twenty hours ahead of the Flare Sunday games 10:15 am, I was greeted by the team manager, offered the match fee, given two match ready, match fit balls, a team sheet and asked what I wanted to see from the players and if I was going to implement the “Respect Programme” i.e. involving the captain when warning players etc and a team sheet supplied by the away team manager, all before I was changed. The same old same old continued to happen during this Saturday afternoon game as it does in any Sunday Morning game, but how gratifying to be treated in the appropriate manner on arrival. At half time one of the ladies associated with the home team had crossed two football pitches and a large car park to get and hand me a cup of hot chocolate in the centre circle. Ladies and Gentlemen whilst the chocolate was a bonus, all the rest is common courtesy to referees and most a requirement. No we don’t have team sheets but you can still inform the ref of the subs names, without him or her having to ask for them just before the kick off. Un-named subs cannot participate, F.A.Rules. There a few Flare teams that do meet and greet, offer the match fee and have the match balls ready for inspection and give the subs names but they are in the minority.