RateTheRef

Fixtures are published, the players have been back in preseason training since 20th June, we'll find out which refs will be reffing or not as we go, it's a state secret otherwise! I'm dreading the news that the lovely Mr Solymosi may have chosen to retire over the close season, not heard either way yet! Tried various sources but all claim they don't know so either they genuinely don't know or they don't want to be the poor sap trying to break it to me gently! You will all hear my heart break into 10 million pieces if he has decided to retire! 

We do have quite a change with dates this season, normally the league kicks off in July but this season it's 3rd August - boo for having to wait an extra week or 2! The winter break starts on December 14, 2019, so 2nd Saturday in December as usual. The Spring season starts early this season - January 25, 1 or 2 weeks earlier than normal and the season ends on May 16th, roughly the same time as last season.

Missy bmb is already way too excited ahead of the season well apart from not knowing if the favourite favourite ref will be starting the season out on the pitch or with his feet up at some lush waterfront condo at Lake Balaton!! Neither of my teams start their season in their own ground! Honvéd continue the ground share with MTK Budapest while their new stadion is being built & Újpest start the season ground sharing with NB2 side Vasas as undersoil heating is currently being installed in the Szusza Ferenc stadion. The, Puskás Aréna, the new National Team Stadion should be ready before the winter break starts as well (planned opening 15th November) - all exciting stuff! Not sure we really need a capacity of 67,889 though as we barely fill the Groupama which is 22,000 but hey we get a National Team stadion back for the first time in a long while!

1st matchday:
Ferencváros v DVSC
Groupama Aréna

Mezőkövesd Zsóry v ZTE
Mezőkövesd Városi Stadion

Mol Vidi (Actually MOL Fehérvár as they will be called this season) v Kaposvári Rákóczi
Mol Aréna Sóstó

Újpest v Puskás Akadémia (Felcsút as they should be called! They are not an academy & had one of the oldest squads last year for a start & Puskás only ever played for Honvéd but the Prime Minister wishes to re-write history for his pathetic, and hated team!)
Illovszky Rudolf Stadion

DVTK v Budapest Honvéd
DVTK Stadion

Kisvárda Master Good v Paks
Kisvárdai Várkerti Stadion

Looking forward to plenty of yellow on show!! 😂😂😂😂

We often adopt the current International kit in Hungary for the NB1 so my headaches caused by yellow may well yet be broken up by headaches caused by luminous pink! Deep joy! Fingers crossed for the Nike orange instead of either of them!

It would appear that the lush condo on the shoreline of Lake Balaton will have to wait!!! Happy bmb! Roll on 3rd August & #SolymosiWatch

Match Day 1:

Mezőkövesd Zsóry v ZTE
2019.08.03 – 19:30
Mezőkövesd, Mezőkövesd Városi Stadion
Referee: Erdős József
4O: Szalai Balázs
AR: Albert István, Buzás Balázs
AAR: Takács János, Szőts Gergely

Újpest v Puskás Akadémia
2019.08.03 – 19:30
Budapest, Illovszky Rudolf Stadion (Illovszky Rudolf Stadion )
Referee: Vad II. István 
4O: Horváth Róbert
AR: Berettyán Péter, Georgiou Theodoros
AAR: Karakó Ferenc, Szilasi Szabolcs

Kisvárda Master Good v Paks
2019.08.03 – 19:30
Kisvárda, Kisvárdai Várkerti Stadion (Várkerti Stadion)
Referee: Bogár Gergő
4O: Márkus Tamás
AR: Ring György, Szert Balázs
AAR: Farkas Ádám, Csonka Bence

Sunday’s games will be added when they are published.

Puhl plays hard from MD1...........

With any luck, that will be it for the rest of the season! At least we have 2 decent AR's! AAR2 & the 4O are decent enough as well!

So the lowdown from this weekend...

Vad (red shirt) - apart from the missed penalty in Liláks favour when they were only 1-0 down he was kind of ok.  Left his cards in the dressing room 1st half so didn't bother booking anyone! I had actually made that as a sarcastic comment after one the Lilák players had received the old clothesline chop across the neck with no sanction but then later in the half on yet another yellow card offence, he patted his top pocket, then back pocket, shrugged and carried on with no card shown! He was weak, inconsistent and his decision making was completely and utterly random.  I have no idea what was or wasn't a foul in the game. He was fit though & kept up with play! He was also marginally better than my team who failed to turn up for the match at all & completely deserved the 3-1 drubbing.

Erdős József (black shirt) - Has lost yet more weight & was looking very trim. Good on him. Positioning was decent and it therefore followed that so was his decision making. He is one that when he gets into the right position gets his calls right & positioning has often been his weak point. Pleased to see him making a good start to the season. He was consistent throughout to both teams.

Bogár Gergő (red shirt) - Very strong performance from this young man.  Fitness excellent, positioning very good, decision making consistent & decent.  Strong on discipline, was not afraid to make the calls or show cards when needed.  He showed the 1st yellow of the season & a correct call it was as well.  Waved away a pen shout right near the end, handball shout, defender had moved his arms out of the way, behind his back actually, but it still caught him from short range as the striker blasted it at him.  100% the right call for me. I foresee a white badge in his future as soon as a spot becomes available.

Solymosi Péter (looking awesome in blue) - Looking very fit & no trouble keeping up with play. His decision making was decent enough & consistent but he was let down by Kóbor Péter in the 1st half. He had a dreadful 1st half & was caught at least 3 feet behind play on at least 4/5 occasions. Not like him, he's normally a very reliable AR.  Bit of controversy around Kapsovár's 2nd goal, Kóbor was about 5 feet behind play at the time. Vidi bench went mental at him & Solymosi Péter looked furious with him!!  As it turned out when watching the 300 replays at half time it did look as if he had got away with it. 2 players were clearly in offside positions as the ball came in, 1 was onside only by about 1-2cm & he was the player who scored so it was a valid goal. Correct call reached simply by luck as the man required to make the judgement was well out of position. He'll be disappointed with himself for that 1st half. Now whether that was the wake up call he needed or he got a bit of a roasting from the lovely Mr S at half time I don't know but he was much better in the 2nd half.  More alert & his positioning was far better.  He's a great young AR normally, he will have learned from it & I'm sure will be relieved that the only player in an onside position as the ball was played was the one to score! Nothing really in the 2nd half, 3 bookings for the new team as their frustration started to kick in a bit and Vidi deserved the win.

Bognár (black shirt) - After Bogár getting in the 1st YC of the season, Bognár got it the 1st and 2nd pens of the season! Both correct calls, one for each team. Seems to be regaining his confidence after losing it when he made THAT call as Kassai's AAR last season & a solid performance from him today. Consistent with both teams & good to see him back on the up.  Same can't be said for Kispest who looked awful in Europe & again today! How anyone can class N'Gog as a striker is beyond me!

Roll on my extra #SolymosiWatch in Europe this week!

#SolymosiWatch again for bmb.

So far only Kassai and Karako (out of the 6 FIFA refs) without apointments. Kassai in Saudi Arabia I guess?

YOUR FAULT EDWARD!!!!!!!!!

Paks v Budapest Honvéd
2019.08.11 - 18:00
Paks, Paksi Fc Stadion
Ref: Karakó Ferenc
4O: Bornemissza Norbert
AR: Albert István, Georgiou Theodoros
AAR: Solymosi Péter, Zierkelbach Péter

Puskás Akadémia v Mol Fehérvár
2019.08.11 - 18:00
Felcsút, Puskás Akadémia Pancho Aréna
Ref: Kassai Viktor
4O: Vígh-Tarsonyi Gergő
AR: Tóth II. Vencel, Berettyán Péter
AAR: Pintér Csaba, Szilasi Szabolcs

DVSC v Kisvárda Master Good
2019.08.11 - 18:00
Debrecen, Debreceni Nagyerdei Stadion (Nagyerdei Stadion)
Ref: Andó-Szabó Sándor
4O: Varga Zsolt
AR: Buzás Balázs, Szert Balázs
AAR: Iványi Zoltán, Erdős József

bmb does get her 3rd #SolymosiWatch in 4 days but...