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Author Topic: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22  (Read 21714 times)

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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #15 on: Mon 23 Aug 2021 06:32 »
The match in question was:

Sunday 22nd August 2021
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Aylesbury United   8   v   0   Brinscombe and Thrupp
Mario Stetakovic; Kyfer Mayhew, James Mellor.

Entrance was gained through the bar - just in time to see Aylesbury celebrating their sixth goal: JCFC had foolishly overlooked the fact that kick-off was at 13.00. Officials who have received less than favourable comments here can justly claim "I told you he was an idiot," coupled with a degree of Schadenfreude. There was time to see two further goals before Mr Stetakovic ended proceedings.

AR1 had dark hair and looked even younger than he must be; AR2 hadn't and didn't.  The referee was tall, with dark hair and in age came somewhere  in the middle. In the 16  minutes seen, all were faultless.

And so back to Chesham station.
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #16 on: Tue 24 Aug 2021 21:47 »
Brighouse Town have a record of exiting every cup competition at the earliest possible opportunity - on occasions to (even) lower-ranked sides. Last year they excelled, by forcing extra time, before losing to Runcorn Town. This year, there was to be no extra time and they only went down to Shildon through a goal five minutes into added time. The upside was that the scheduled league match was able to go ahead on

Monday 23rd August 2021
NPL East
Brighouse Town   2   v   2   Sheffield
Jack Hall (Sheffield); James Gallagher, Luca Caggiano.

It is some time since JCFC has had a chance to watch Mr Hall in action once more and it would not have been easy to recognise him, as both physically and in style he seemed to have changed.

Sheffield got off to the best of starts, going ahead in the second minute, and looking fast and sharp. Gradualoly, though, Brighouse fought their way back into the game and Sheffield began to rely on long balls for attackers to chase. THe home keeper made his views known too freely on 25 minutes and received a very firm word from Mr Hall.

The second half was one of consistent Brighouse dominance (not a phrase one can often use) but on 70 minutes a Sheffield attacker found himself in possession in the uncharted territory of the Brighouse half. A defender gave chase into the penalty area, putting in a tackle as the home keeper arrived to clatter them both. Mr Hall had got himself into an ideal position and awarded the penalty. The view from the stand was that it was given against the keeper, and as such was correct, though needless to say the keeper was not of that opinion. The kick was taken, the keeper parried but another attacker was first to the rebound to double Sheffield's lead. This situation lasted just over a minute before the hard-working Brighouse striker bundled the ball into the net following a free-kick. Sheffield were desperate to hang on to what they had and began to break up play through a succession of petty fouls. JCFC and Mr Hall decided simultaneously that there had been enough of this and the next offender received a warning that served as a more general message. It was a Brighouse defender, though, who correctly received the game's first yellow for a foul, with Sheffield receiving one of their own on 88 minutes. The board went up to show 4 minutes to be added. With just seconds left, Sheffield made a substitution - and suffered when Brighouse scrambled an equaliser in the additional time. The draw was the least the home side deserved on the balance of the play.

It was good to have the company of a knowledgeable ex-referee friend once again after so long. His comments on Mr Hall were:
Quarter-time: "The referee's very calm."
Half-time: "The referee's been pretty good - He's got most things right."
Towards the end: "He's done well. It's not been a hard match, but if I were assessing him I'd be very pleased."
There was no comment at the end, what with rejoicing at the late equaliser and needing to claim his raffle prize - a bottle of wine from Halifax Pest Control. Château Warfarin, anyone?

For JCFC, who knows less about these things, but has greatly enjoyed Mr Hall's work in the past, it was a more understated form of control, but it was very effective, with the necessary change of tone at just the right moment. It is almost tempting to head to Liversedge this coming Saturday.
« Last Edit: Tue 24 Aug 2021 21:51 by JCFC »
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #17 on: Sun 29 Aug 2021 15:22 »
The choice of match was easy, with the two favourite teams in the division facing each other:

Saturday 28th August 2021
NPL West
Glossop North End   0   v   2   Clitheroe
Oliver Noonan (Manchester); Matthew O'Shea, Ian Claridge.

For many reasons Surrey Street is a favourite destination: Longdendale Lights or Monks Gold in the clubhouse; a splendid assortment of pies; some very good refereeing performances from inter alios Martin Woods, Tom Bramall and Rob Jones. Sadly, on this occasion the hand pump was out of action; the selection of pies was more conventional and JCFC was instead seduced by a hot beef and onion bap. (The smell of onions floating through into the clubhouse may have contributed to this choice.) It remained to be seen whether the third criterion would be met.

The warm-up was interesting, the officials having to move more than once, as their chosen space was invaded by players. The preliminary stretches saw Mr Noonan performing more or less conventionally; Mr O'Shea going through some gentle poses as one with no muscles to stretch - he has JCFC's sympathy; Mr Claridge, meanwhile, threw himself to the ground and spent several minutes in most strenuous contortions.

Mr Noonan got off to a shaky start, Clitheroe's striker being hauled back just short of the penalty area in the first minute. Nothing was given.  Maybe Mr Noonan had been caught directly behind the break - he was normally very good at getting a wider angle - or maybe he felt that the striker had also been offending, but it looked a clear foul. Clitheroe players were not happy, questioning why Mr O'Shea had not flagged, receiving the obvious answer that it was too far away for him to intervene.  Mr O'Shea was soon to receive unjustified flak from Glossop, with demands for an offside, when the attacker had been onside when the ball was played. Clitheroe were looking the better side and having the better of the play, but it was their defence that was forced to clear off the line, while their keeper had to make a low save. Glossop were beginning to match their visitors midway through the half, but in the latter stages it was Clitheroe who put the Glossop keeper under pressure.

The third quarter saw two goals for Clitheroe, both finished effectively, but neither of them things of particular beauty.In between there was a yellow card for the Clitheroe number 8, for an unnecessary challenge from behind. On 78 minutes he received a second yellow/red, it must be assumed for backchat,which must make him the idiot of the day. The final few minutes brought further yellows, first for a Clitheroe player and then for a Glossop player after a great advantage had been played. In time added, a Glossop attacker was impeded as the defender stepped across him so that the ball would run out for a goal-kick. Mr O'Shea flagged for a foul by the attacker, who did grab hold of the defender's shirt as it did so, It was possibly not the wisest of actions by the assistant, whose explanation to the Glossop boss was not well received and ended with Mr Noonan showing the boss a yellow. Curiously, he had earlier failed to take any action against a bearded individual, who raced our of the technical area bellowing offensively at goodness knows whom.

In the end, Mr Noonan did not quite reach the heights of Messrs Woods, Bramall and Jones. It had been a game with a considerable number of pushes. barges and jumps into opponents, which presented some difficulty in establishing a clear line. On the whole, Mr Noonan did a decent job of this, but was too often assailed by two yappy little irritants in the form of the home number 3 and the visiting number 2. Overall, though, he did have a decent game, with very good movement, a pleasant manner and no major errors. And anyone who punishes dissent will always find favour with JCFC.
« Last Edit: Sun 29 Aug 2021 16:40 by JCFC »
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ajb95

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #18 on: Sun 29 Aug 2021 18:51 »
The choice of match was easy, with the two favourite teams in the division facing each other:

Saturday 28th August 2021
NPL West
Glossop North End   0   v   2   Clitheroe
Oliver Noonan (Manchester); Matthew O'Shea, Ian Claridge.

For many reasons Surrey Street is a favourite destination: Longdendale Lights or Monks Gold in the clubhouse; a splendid assortment of pies; some very good refereeing performances from inter alios Martin Woods, Tom Bramall and Rob Jones. Sadly, on this occasion the hand pump was out of action; the selection of pies was more conventional and JCFC was instead seduced by a hot beef and onion bap. (The smell of onions floating through into the clubhouse may have contributed to this choice.) It remained to be seen whether the third criterion would be met.

The warm-up was interesting, the officials having to move more than once, as their chosen space was invaded by players. The preliminary stretches saw Mr Noonan performing more or less conventionally; Mr O'Shea going through some gentle poses as one with no muscles to stretch - he has JCFC's sympathy; Mr Claridge, meanwhile, threw himself to the ground and spent several minutes in most strenuous contortions.

Mr Noonan got off to a shaky start, Clitheroe's striker being hauled back just short of the penalty area in the first minute. Nothing was given.  Maybe Mr Noonan had been caught directly behind the break - he was normally very good at getting a wider angle - or maybe he felt that the striker had also been offending, but it looked a clear foul. Clitheroe players were not happy, questioning why Mr O'Shea had not flagged, receiving the obvious answer that it was too far away for him to intervene.  Mr O'Shea was soon to receive unjustified flak from Glossop, with demands for an offside, when the attacker had been onside when the ball was played. Clitheroe were looking the better side and having the better of the play, but it was their defence that was forced to clear off the line, while their keeper had to make a low save. Glossop were beginning to match their visitors midway through the half, but in the latter stages it was Clitheroe who put the Glossop keeper under pressure.

The third quarter saw two goals for Clitheroe, both finished effectively, but neither of them things of particular beauty.In between there was a yellow card for the Clitheroe number 8, for an unnecessary challenge from behind. On 78 minutes he received a second yellow/red, it must be assumed for backchat,which must make him the idiot of the day. The final few minutes brought further yellows, first for a Clitheroe player and then for a Glossop player after a great advantage had been played. In time added, a Glossop attacker was impeded as the defender stepped across him so that the ball would run out for a goal-kick. Mr O'Shea flagged for a foul by the attacker, who did grab hold of the defender's shirt as it did so, It was possibly not the wisest of actions by the assistant, whose explanation to the Glossop boss was not well received and ended with Mr Noonan showing the boss a yellow. Curiously, he had earlier failed to take any action against a bearded individual, who raced our of the technical area bellowing offensively at goodness knows whom.

In the end, Mr Noonan did not quite reach the heights of Messrs Woods, Bramall and Jones. It had been a game with a considerable number of pushes. barges and jumps into opponents, which presented some difficulty in establishing a clear line. On the whole, Mr Noonan did a decent job of this, but was too often assailed by two yappy little irritants in the form of the home number 3 and the visiting number 2. Overall, though, he did have a decent game, with very good movement, a pleasant manner and no major errors. And anyone who punishes dissent will always find favour with JCFC.

Glad to see Ollie doing well1 Top guy and a top ref too!

You should have said you were in the area JCFC - I wuld have made a chocolate cake! ;)

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #19 on: Mon 30 Aug 2021 09:13 »
Quote
You should have said you were in the area JCFC - I wuld have made a chocolate cake! ;)
Cue for song ...
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #20 on: Mon 30 Aug 2021 12:38 »
You should have said you were in the area JCFC - I wuld have made a chocolate cake! ;)

A  kind thought ajb! Does that mean that you have finished off all the leftover mince pies that were on offer last time I visited Surrey Street?
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #21 on: Tue 31 Aug 2021 11:29 »
Pre-match had an unusual feature, as JCFC found himself having to shake the wing of a bantam - Bradford City's mascot, it seems.

Monday 30th August 2021
NPL East
Brighouse Town   2   v   0   Ossett United
Lewis Dawson (Halifax); Arran Williams, Micheal (sic) Johnson.

Ossett had made a promising start to the season, but were largely outplayed for the first half hour, rarely making much headway in the Brighouse half. There was little to trouble Mr Dawson, but the yellow card for the Ossett number 11 on 20 minutes, for chopping down an opponent in full flight down the wing, made it clear what was not acceptable. Ossett eventually came into the game and on 38 and again on 40 minutes Brighouse survived through a succession of three desperate blocks each time, with the keeper struggling to regain his position. Brighouse fans - JCFC and his friend, at least - were desperate for the half-time whistle. Fortunately it did not come, as a good move allowed Brighouse to take the lead just before the break.

Ossett players were out early after the interval - a sign of a rollocking? - but it did not appear to have done them much good. On 56 minutes a (semi-accidental) Brighouse header was brilliantly tipped over the bar for a corner, form which Brighouse scored their second. A Town goal from a corner?-a rarity indeed. A visiting defender appeared to catch the back of the ankle of the home number 9 deep in the penalty area; Brighouse hoped for a penalty, but Mr Dawson, as close as ever to the incident, decreed otherwise. The visiting number 4 was shortly afterwards called for a word of warning, but when he repeated the foul,(with interest) on 76 minutes he was rightly cautioned. Again, Ossett grew stronger towards the end of the half. They did get the ball in the net from a free-kick on 83 minutes, but Mr Dawson had spoken to the attacker about pushing prior to the kick being taken - and he had not heeded the advice. So, a surprising, if deserved, win for Brighouse - and a Monday evening at home to enjoy the one worthwhile night on the television.

JCFC has had the impression for several years now that Mr Dawson had been earmarked for greater things, without ever seeing quite why - a view coloured, no doubt, by the fact that on the first two occasions he had to leave the field through injury. This time, however, showed just why this expectation could well be justified. He handled the game in a way that was authoritative, but not over-assertive. His triage was excellent, helped by his first-rate movement - an excellent example of the referee as leader, accepted by the players, rather than second fiddle, and though he probably remained largely unnoticed, even one or two unlikely supporters commented on how well he had done.
« Last Edit: Sun 25 Dec 2022 13:25 by JCFC »

JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #22 on: Sun 05 Sep 2021 15:54 »
The draw for the FA Cup had not been kind: no sensible chance of even a double header and no accessible new ground to visit. Two previously unseen referees  were within convenient reach, JCFC deciding that a Cheshire referee was more likely than one from Liverpol to turn up at Brighouse one day, so chose

Saturday 4th September 2021
FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
Atherton Collieries   1   v   1   Bridlington Town
Barry Lamb (Manchester); Chris Cooper-Tonge, Ali Rahjoo.

It was disappointing, therefore, to find that the expected Mr Lennon had been replaced by the more familiar Barry Lamb - not that that should be taken as a reflection on the latter, who has normally found favour in this quarter. The officials, in fact, turned out to be anything but familiar. Mr Cooper-Tonge had been seen just the once, and JCFC would not have known him from Adam; Mr Rahjoo looked even more distinguished, and curiously seemed taller than when seen before - a case of relativity, based on the height of the different referees with whom he was working. Mr Lamb had forsworn his erstwhile tidy hairstyle: perhaps in compensation for a slight thinning on top, he had grown a mane which gave him a 19th century artistic appearance and flopped vigorously as he ran.

Atherton have made a good start to their NPL Premier season, Brid a poor start in one of the divisions below, so it was not a major surprise when Colls took the lead within the first minute. They continued to have the better of the territory, with the visitors making only occasional forays up to the top end. Forty-five minutes later Mr Lamb blew for half-time.

Playing down the slope Bridlington made a brighter start, but Atherton created two unmissable chances, which they proceeded to miss. Immediately after the second of these, Brid equalised with a header. Atherton became a little more urgent and had an effort deflected for a corner, but the tie now goes to a replay on Tuesday.

As may be deduced, Mr Lamb had little difficulty in controlling the match. There were a couple of late cautions for Bridlington players - there may have been others not spotted, as his carding technique is very perfunctory, as seen at higher levels. He worked wide, though not always too deep. He has always been quite a good talker and on this occasion sounded to have acquired a slightly gruff faux-sexy tone. I'm afraid it did nothing for me, but his aim would probably have been to win the favours of a good-looking hairstylist. Particular credit to him for keeping things running to time, meaning that contrary to expectations, JCFC was able to complete the walk back to the station in comfortable time for the 17.08 train, thus saving an hour's wait.
« Last Edit: Sun 25 Dec 2022 13:33 by JCFC »
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #23 on: Sun 12 Sep 2021 21:49 »
Episode 1
Saturday 11th September 2021
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Silsden   1   v   2   Albion Sports
Ben Brighton (Bradford); Sam Sutton, Matthew Wolfendale.

The Ancient Sages were out in force, and had secured reserved seats. A 12th minute foul throw decision won their approval and a brief round of applause. Their striker was receiving a less favourable verdict, prompting the following interchange; Sage A: "He's top scorer - you can't knock him." Sage B: "I bloody can!" On 17 minutes an Albion attacker appeared to be pulled over from behind in the penalty area, but Mr Brighton immediately waved appeals away, the Sages feeling they had got away with one, though the lack of major protests from Albion  suggests that Mr Brighton was probably right. In contrast there were vigorous protests from the bench when a second appeal was turned down five minutes later - the Silsden keeper having made a perfect tackle. Discussion amongst the Sages turned to the possible cause of the outbreak of colour-blindness that rendered Silsden players unable to pass to anyone in a red shirt. In added time there was a correct yellow card for the home number 4 and the half finished goalless.

On 56 minutes Albion came close with a good turn and shot, which narrowly cleared the bar; Silsden's immediate response took them to the opposite end, where their shot cleared the bar, though in this case it was the bar in the clubhouse. Albion went ahead on the hour, coming close again a minute later, but Silsden drew level just three minutes later. There was a yellow per side within three minutes, the Silsden one being for a particularly idiotic pull-back by their number 8. At this point Mr Brighton received the supreme accolade from the Sages "I dont think he's done a bad job so far." "No, he's been consistent." A rapid Albion attack, a half save, a pull-back from the by-line and a simple finish saw them retake the lead on 71 minutes. Silsden did get the ball in the net late on, but for the umpteenth time, they were caught offside. A shot a minute later gave the Albion keeper an easy save. In a last-ditch effort the home keeper came forward, won the header, touched on by a colleague, only for the keeper to make a good save and see his side into the next round.

All three officials went for short sleeves, Mr Brighton's fortunately being long enough to cover his tattoos. Mr Wolfendale's appearance reminded JCFC of one of The Yetties (from Yetminster), both in appearance and air of joviality, the slimmer Mr Sutton being a more distant figure on the opposite touchline. Mr Brighton was efficient, in an unspectacular style, and can feel pleased with his afternoon's work. And remember, the Ancient Sages were impressed!
« Last Edit: Sun 25 Dec 2022 13:40 by JCFC »
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #24 on: Mon 13 Sep 2021 17:09 »
Another Sunday fixture, another early kick-off, but this time JCFC had done his homework and arrived with an hour and a quarter to spare at:

Episode 2
Sunday 12th September 2021
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic   1   v   2   Maine Road
Joshua Drake (S&H FA); Richard Trinder, Russell Lagden.

JCFC was just buying a cup of tea when the officials came in for their brew. One disadvantage of the relaxed dress code was that the lady failed to recognise them as the match officials and tried to extract payment at first. Mr Drake was very young, slim and trim, Mr Trinder was grey-haired but wiry, while Mr Lagden's preference for milky coffee, rather than tea like his colleagues, might have contributed to his more comfortable figure. Mr Drake appeared a very personable young man, helpfully assisting the Maine Road stand-in secretary with paper-work that he had not had to deal with for many years. He applied the same degree of sympathy to his subsequent warm-up, adapting his pace to the slowest member of the team.

Within 30 seconds of kick-off there was a potential problem as a home attacker appeared (from the stand) to handle the ball. Despite appeals from Maine Road players, Mr Drake, whose eyes are younger that JCFC's by half a century or more, allowed play to continue. Fortunately, the final shot was off target and the matter was soon forgotten. The territory was roughly even, but it was Maine Road who always looked the more dangerous in attack, forcing the Briggers' keeper to tip a shot for a corner and having a later shot inches too high. It was no surprise, therefore, when Maine Road took the lead on 24 minutes. A diving Worsbrough header shortly afterwards just failed to make the necessary contact A penalty appeal by the home side was immediately and correctly rejected. Maine Road would have hoped to do better with a couple more chances, but still reached half-time in the lead.

The Briggers appeared to have had an injection of rocket fuel, as they looked livelier now playing up the slope, but on 50 minutes it was the visitors who had a shot pushed away. The home side got their equaliser on 58 minutes, with a low ball from the right ( a cross or a shot?) going in off the keeper. Both sides pushed for the decider without success until added time, when Maine Road claimed the tie. For once penalties would have been welcome, as there was a 25 minutes wait for the bus back into Barnsley.

Had there been a pernickety Observer present, he might have deemed Mr Trinder's conduct of substitutions a little loose - unless, that is, there has been a law-change  or a temporary Covid dispensation - but otherwise both he and Mr Lagden performed well. As for Mr Drake, he was excellent, communicating clearly with the players and extracting a good response - hence the absence of cards. His manner onfield seemed as good as it had been before the match. He has a very strong whistle, but only used it when appropriate, and his movement was good, though one late break could perhaps have deserved a slightly faster sprint than it received. This was the third highly promising showing from a young Level 4 this season. It would be intriguing to see whether he copes as well with a more testing encounter. The guess is that he would!
« Last Edit: Sun 25 Dec 2022 13:50 by JCFC »
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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #25 on: Tue 14 Sep 2021 21:05 »
As JCFC rose to get off the bus, A gentleman from Sunderland asked for guidance to the ground and a pleasant conversation ensued as we walked up. It turned out that he was the father of Graeme Fyvie, seen in 2013 refereeing Bradford PA v Harrogate Town in an FA Trophy tie, and also on the line for Ben Toner in an FA Cup match at Hartlepool. His surname, as in the song "The Bonny Lass o' Fyvie o" becomes less surprising when it turns out that he was born in Insch, just half a dozen miles from the Aberdeenshire village that bears his name. And so to

Monday 13th September 2021
NPL East
Brighouse Town   1   v   0   Bridlington Town
Jamie Rhodes (Normanton); Gordon Greaves, Josh Martin.

The talk around the ground was of two "very poor" refereeing displays in Town's last two matches, which may or may not have been accurate. Bridlington had lost all their league matches to date, but started off on top, the home side not being able to get the ball into the Brid half for the first five minutes. When they did so, however, they were met with a string of fouls, mostly penalised by Mr Rhodes, without any cautions, though one drag back of a forward heading to the penalty area looked distinctly worthy of a yellow. Midway through the half a foul on the far side of the pitch saw the Brid number 9 called for a lecture and as Mr Rhodes was seen to be writing as he talked, JCFC noted it as a caution, wrongly as in fact no card was shown. All somewhat confusing! Brid netted with a strong header, but Mr Martin's flag rescued the home side. There was a caution at last - for Brid 10 on 31 minutes, but the quality of the play was low, Brighouse not managing a shot on target, other than one weak free-kick, with the only threat coming at the other end.

The second half produced a further two cautions - Bridlington numbers 9 and 8 - and further pressure on the home goal, fortunately without any great accuracy, while the home keeper was generally effective in snuffing out the occasional danger. So 89 minutes arrived, the visitors attcking, home fans once again hoping for the final whistle. The Brighouse keeper caught the ball, threw it out to the right, from where a speculative long ball forward was made into a great pass by a superb crossfield sprint by the home sub, who kept the ball in play and pulled it back for Brighouse to snatch a winner. Another episode of Crimewatch could well result!

Mr Rhodes made a slightly diffident start at Level 3 some years ago, but has since grown into a sound referee and a very good decision-maker. In the early stages of this match he appeared over-lenient, perhaps, but in fact, he managed to get the difficult balance correct. His style is not demonstrative - except in terms of his fitness, which allowed him to be on the spot whenever possible problems threatened. Mr Observer might have questions about one or two cautions not issued, but must surely have appreciated a mature and well-judged performance overall.
« Last Edit: Tue 14 Sep 2021 21:09 by JCFC »
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #26 on: Sat 18 Sep 2021 10:33 »
Hopes that another weekend in the South would yield a couple of FA Cup ties were dashed, as only a Saturday one was within reach. There were, however, league games. JCFC chose Virginia Water, but the knowledgeable Martin Lewis saved him a wasted trip, by pointing out that they play at Windsor, which would be less accessible. The option then was

Friday 17th September 2021
Essex Senior League
Redbridge   1   v   3   Clacton
Andy Sammons (Saffron Walden,perhaps); Albert Forbes, Stiofan Appleby. (Note correction from nemesis, below.)

It was disappointing to find that the only food available was a burger, not a JCFC favourite, but freshly prepared by a lovely young lady, it turned out to be the highlight of the evening.

The lighting was poor - not as bad as at Hendon, but with the pylons being too short, this added an unpleasant glare. Add in the "see-through" dug-outs, which weren't, and the biblical idea of seeing as through a glass darkly was illustrated to perfection. As a result, proceedings were not easy to follow.

Mr Sammons is, in refereeing terms, no Spring chicken, but he strutted to the toss like a bantam ****(a male fowl), his two assistants strolling in his wake.

A rapid raid on 13 minutes saw Clacton fire the ball in from near their left touchline, (we'll say it was a shot)  and it sailed into the net, the keeper not moving, though it looked within comfortable reach. The visitors' second soon followed - a more convincing screamer from the right, and this time the keeper had no chance.There was a yellow for a Clacton defender just after the half-hour and a late flurry in the Clacton goalmouth, ending with a wild shot over the goal.

Redbridge offered a bit more in the second half, being denied by the keeper's legs on 64 minutes, while Clacton picked up another yellow card. It was the visitors who added a third on 81 minutes. Redbridge won a penalty on 86 minutes. The attacker was keen to take it, but had to wait as Mr Sammons was for some time otherwise engaged. Eventually a Clacton player headed off to the pavilion, the guess being that it was a sin-bin yellow, rather than a red. The penalty was scored, but the final whistle brought merciful relief.

Mr Sammons may have been anywhere between poor and brilliant, it really was hard to tell, but he seemed to do a pretty decent job.

Transport for London"s Journey Planner"s recommended route saw JCFC arrive at Platform 13 at London Bridge just as the train doors shut. There was no later one, but a lucky guess, involving Northern Line and a change at Balham, meant that the hotel was reached just after midnight.
« Last Edit: Fri 24 Sep 2021 20:07 by JCFC »
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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #27 on: Sun 19 Sep 2021 18:04 »
The following day, however, could not have been more different. A straightforward short train journey, changing at Selhurst and East Croydon, and a comfortable walk took JCFC to

Saturday 18th September 2021
FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Merstham   4   v   1   Margate
Ciaran Fidler (Brighton): Joel Lamping, Chris Britton.

The ground was very trim, the view from the stand unobstructed, the staff friendly and efficient and the sunshine pleasant. A trio of young(ish) officials was in charge. As a traditionalist by nature, though, JCFC was disappointed that not a single Sussex badge was on display.

The nature of the football, too, was generally pleasing. Merstham looked comfortable in possession at the back, but then had to play long balls forward, which initially got them nowhere; Margate played the ball through midfield and looked the more incisive, but their attacks too often ended with an easy catch for the keeper. One such take, on the half hour, was played long and wide, where a Margate defender headed the ball back inside, only for it to fall at the feet of a Merstham attacker who had no difficulty in beating the keeper. Margate equalised just before the break, a surging run being followed by a powerful long shot.

A foul early in the second half drew a. yellow card for a home defender. Merstham regained the lead on 57 minutes, a longish shot from the right going in off the far post. An attack-stopping foul soon saw a Margate defender receive a yellow card. This was followed within a minute by what was almost an action replay of Merstham's second goal, but with the addition of a nifty turn. A fumble by the home goalie looked dangerous for a moment, but he was able to rescue the situation. Merstham's fourth, on 85 minutes, was this time a mirror image of numbers 2 and 3. Another yellow was shown to a Margate defender for stopping the next attack. On 89 minutes Mr Fidler ran back to have a brief chat with Mr Lamping, then ran back. Mysterious! The JCFC guess is that the home side were trying to bring on a substitute who was not ready. Mr Fidler did perhaps miss a minor trick in added time, when Merstham's right back was substituted and had got into his jog to the benches on the opposite side before Mr Fidler had located him. Sensibly, the referee decided that it would take longer to stop him and turn him back, so let him carry on. A good win for Merstham!

Mr Fidler had a fairly easy match to handle, with the cautions clear-cut and little sign of rancour between the teams. His triage was sound, he appeared to be a good communicator and played his part in an enjoyable afternoon. JCFC is happy to confirm that the hope expressed in. Mr Fidler's Twitter profile was on this occasion realised. He would have been even happier had the hope been more decorously expressed.

The trip back involved changes at East Croydon and this time Norwood Junction. Results elsewhere have created a chance to take in a replay on Tuesday,. With luck it may even be possible to find an easier way into the ground than on my previous visit there.
« Last Edit: Sun 19 Sep 2021 23:12 by JCFC »
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nemesis

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #28 on: Mon 20 Sep 2021 17:04 »
Hopes that another weekend in the South would yield a couple of FA Cup ties were dashed, as only a Saturday one was within reach. There were, however, league games. JCFC chose Virginia Water, but the knowledgeable Martin Lewis saved him a wasted trip, by pointing out that they play at Windsor, which would be less accessible. The option then was

Friday 17th September 2021
Essex Senior League
Redbridge   1   v   3   Clacton
Andy Sammons (Saffron Walden,perhaps); Albert Forbes, Stiofan Appleby.

 .....

I think you'll find it was Andy Simmonds from Grays. Albert Forbes is from er, Redbridge and Stiofan is a newcomer from somewhere in Essex !

JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2021/22
« Reply #29 on: Mon 20 Sep 2021 17:26 »
Thank you once again! I took the names from the league website, which is obviously not to be trusted. Interestingly, it also gave the officials' levels. Mr Appleby was shown as 7p, whatever that means - probationer, perhaps.
« Last Edit: Fri 24 Sep 2021 20:10 by JCFC »