Game 2, 2016-17
We're just about to kick off when I notice
that at least half of the home team are not wearing shin-guards. I turn around
and look at the away team. Same thing. No, it's not an under-7s game. These are
all adult men. Though sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
Everyone's ready to go, it's very hot, and
it's only a pre-season friendly. I hadn't bothered checking the players'
equipment because, for adult games, everyone usually knows the rules. So I
point out the all-round lack of protective leg gear. "Ah, come
on," says one player. "We all know each other - it's going to be very
laid back." With an uneasy feeling, I start the game.
 |
| Be sure your shin will find you out... |
Ten minutes later I stop it and order all
the players who don't have shin-guards to put them on. The tackles are going in
thick and hard. This is about as laid back as Jürgen
Klopp barefoot on a hot tin roof. One player has
already limped off with an ankle injury. I can picture health insurance companies
suing me on behalf of their client and his triple shin fracture, while my refereeing
overlords will wonder why on earth I overlooked such a basic law. I will be
banished for five years to the pre-adolescent leagues, kicking off on Sundays
at 8am...
Want to read more? Click here to order Reffing Hell: Stuck In The Middle Of A Game Gone Wrong by Ian Plenderleith (Halcyon Publishing), published on August 8, 2022.
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