RateTheRef

I found the "Did you know" detail interesting. I did not realise that Boswell was a traveller-related name. That explains the excellent Jeremy James Taylor's choice of "Bendigo Boswell" as the title of one of his splendid young persons' musicals. (The Ballad of Salomon Pavey remains my favourite, however.)

Nor did I know about the name Boswell but a rather famous holder of it did travel a lot with a certain Dr Johnson.

The lure of a referee from deepest Gloucestershire was even stronger than the siren call of Silsden's Ancient Sages, so JCFC alighted from the train at Fitzwilliam,  for

Saturday 9th October 2021
NCEFL Premier Division
Hemsworth Miners Welfare (3)  v  (1)   Penistone Church
Matthew Langdon; Charles King, Jamie Mortiboys.


One disadvantage of the otherwise pleasant ground is the proximity of the stand to the home technical area, with its very loud, very one-eyed manager, with an extremely limited but infinitely repetitive vocabulary. A fairly routine foul on 5 minutes earned the referee and AR1 an extended introductory course in the local vernacular. Hemsworth had an effort off the Penistone crossbar and forced a good save from the keeper on 19 minutes. Midway through the half came a strange decision: a Hemsworth player was chasing the ball down the left wing, the Penistone defender merely stepped in front of him, with the ball not within reach and allowed the attacker to run into his back. The result, a free-kick to Penistone, did not meet with approval in the home technical area - and this time JCFC was inclined to agree with them, though not, of course, in similar terms. As the abuse from the home boss continued unabated, one Penistone supporter shouted that he should be sent to the stand - an idea instantly vetoed by the occupants of said stand, who did not want him anywhere near them. Further unwanted advice on 34 minutes led to a summons to a Hemsworrth coach for a warning, though Mr Langdon singled out the hitherto quieter one. There followed an extended conversation, with the coach giving as good as he got -if not more so - and appearing to have the final word. Mr Langdon was correct not to fall for a ridiculous penalty appeal from Hemsworth on 42 minutes, but the home side took the lead a minute later. It had been a half low on quality, with what little there had been coming from Hemsworth, despite an apparent desire to prove Brian Clough wrong by playing football in the sky. Penistone, meanwhile, had barely played at all, but appeared to be making a bid for the Guinness Book of Records for the most times caught offside. (no chance - Partick Thistle in the 70s must hold that, thanks to a forward called Rae.)


Penistone had doubtless had a deserved rocket at half-time, and were out early for the second half. Almost immediately they had a good header tipped over the bar. On 55 minutes the home number 2 received the game's first yellow card, Mr Langdon having had time to note the details before the player had answered the summons to be shown the card. Penistone got their equaliser almost immediately, lifting the ball neatly over the stranded keeper. Penistone were correctly awarded a free-kick on 58 minutes, but the home number 10 was not convinced, showing his dissent by hurling the ball into the ground and away. Mr Langdon may have missed this, as he was disentangling players, so number 10 had another go a few seconds later, this time kicking the ball away, but again the yellow card was not forthcoming. The game's best moment came on 64 minutes, Hemsworth playing an excellent long pass from centre field to right wing, who turned it back inside for a colleague to finish with a superb shot into the far corner.. Three minutes later smart passing enabled them to score a third - but this time Penistone's defence had evaporated, making it all too easy for them. Matters came to a head in the 72nd minute; Penistone were penalised for a foul; there must have been more to it than immediately met the eye, as the Hemsworth player lost his rag and set off at a rate of knots in search of vengeance. He was restrained from behind by an opponent and an outbreak of silliness ensued, with a succession of outbreaks of playground behaviour. There were a couple of incursions from the Hemsworth coaching staff, hopefully as students of the Beatitudes, through a wish to be called the Children of God. AR1 and Mr Langdon waited until this had subsided. AR1 hovered in readiness to be consulted. but was not called upon - not the wisest course, perhaps. Instead, Mr Langdon called the Hemsworth number 11 to receive a red card, followed by the Penistone number 15 seconds later.  Penistone players began to question the assistant as to the reason for this dismissal and before play could restart there was a vigorous flag from Mr Mortiboys on the far touchline, Players, staff and officials all headed to the scene. From the stand it was not clear what was happening, with no obvious signs of total warfare, but after a few minutes Mr Langdon blew to abandon the match. It did seem a surprising decision,(even President Hackett, with all his experience, could not recall an abandonment in such circumstances)  but then Mr Langdon was in possession of the facts and made his judgement accordingly. It may be that the atmosphere was simply too toxic, or that something had happened that might lead to the involvement of the Police. As JCFC made his way slowly towards the exit, the home manager was seen sitting despondently in the dug-out, thinking, among other consequences, of the loss of what seemed a certain three (much needed) points. JCFC almost felt sorry for him - I did say almost!

Unless he is a supremely confident young man, Mr Langdon will probably have spent a disturbed evening mulling over the events. He can be reassured that  overall he performed to the level one would expect: not the best Level 4 seen this season, but not necessarily the worst. It would have been good to see a slightly more authoritative manner, but for the most part his decisions were accurate.

In the aftermath Penistone's twitter thanked Hemsworth for their post-match hospitality, wisely declining to offer any further comment. Hemsworth's went silent until Sunday, when they indicated that there had been an incident involving a spectator who is not a regular supporter and who would no longer be welcome at the club. Meanwhile the league has things to sort out.

One good thing came of it: JCFC had assumed that he would have longer to wait for his train, but instead was able to catch an earlier one, getting home 20 minutes earlier that expected.

I notice that the away team were a church team - in name anyway - I wonder if the Vicar was playing !! - perhaps a prayer or two would have been appropriate

There wasnt a vicar playing when I refereed up there last season. A lovely ground in an equally lovely setting. No wonder Keith Hackett chose it as his base of operations

There wasnt a vicar playing when I refereed up there last season. A lovely ground in an equally lovely setting. No wonder Keith Hackett chose it as his base of operations

Over the last five years or so, the number of grounds that can be visited on public transport in the evening has declined markedly. Changes to train services took out FCUM, Chadderton, Curzon Ashton, Ashton United, Stalybridge, Ossett, Selby T, Garforth T and, sadly, Silsden. Last year Penistone Church was regrettably added to the list as the penultimate train was removed. As ajb95 implies, Penistone is a good club to visit, so this was particularly sad

Now the buses have joined in,with the unkindest cut of all. Recent changes mean that Emley can no longer be visited in the evening - the last bus back to civilisation (Huddersfield) leaves at half time, though there is a bus to Wakefield just after 11pm, for those not interested in civilisation.

Never having had the slightest wish to by-pass Huddersfield, I imagine that the route Microscopist mentions, was merely a cunning plan to keep out undesirables - though I'm sure our friend did not fit into that category. If he reversed his route on the return trip, his way out of town would have coincided with the trolleybus journey I used to take on the way home from school. He would have had the olfactory delights of passing first the gasworks, where we often were delayed as a litle saddle tank pulled its train slowly across the road; then the dyeworks of ICI and L B Holliday's before the culmination by the sewage works.

The train would have been pleasanter, though Huddersfield station is vastly more impressive from the outside. In those days, it was still possible, I imagine, to reach Reddish with a change at Stalybridge. Meanwhile at about the same time I was heading from Manchester Victoria  to Brighouse, with a change at Sowerby Bridge or latterly from Manchester Exchange to Huddersfield,direct.

Therein lies the difference between the true intellectual, Whistleblower, and the rest of us, who might have been contemplating a possible Dibley ladies team.

Quote from: JCFC on Tue 12 Oct 2021 18:05

Therein lies the difference between the true intellectual Whistleblower and the rest of us, who might have been contemplating a possible Dibley ladies team.

A kind accolade and quite undeserved.

If you are contemplating clerics and ladies then perhaps The Vicar of Bullhampton is for you. A novel about a trollop by a Trollope

Or even by A Trollope.