RateTheRef

Tuesday 4th October 2022
NPL Division 1 East
Brighouse Town   0   v   0   Pontefract Colls
Joe Moss (Leeds); Sam Bragg, Haim Fiterman

Ponte made the brighter start, looking to pass the ball, mostly effectively, and they had a strong early shot deflected for a corner. Brighouse soon settled and there was a yellow card for a Ponte player. An excellent diagonal pass the width of the field found the home right winger, who would have expected to do better. Another home attack ended with a weak effort past the post, but the Ponte keeper had somehow sustained a serious injury. Both physios were quickly in action, thermal insulation, blankets and a stretcher were brought on, with an ambulance being called, it being rightly thought unwise to risk moving him. Mr Moss took up a good position in the goal area, from which he would be able to keep an eye on the remaining players. It appeared as if the normally reasonable Town manager made an injudicious remark which annoyed the visiting players and they made towards him, Town players facing up to them. Mr Bragg did splendidly to take control of the situation, restoring sense and shepherding the manager away for a chat. Several more minutes passed and Mr Moss leaned over the boundary fence to have a word with Mr Fiterman. It will no doubt have been deduced that this was Mr Moss père, who then started to head round to the opposite side of the field, followed by Mr Observer Carter. Mr Fiterman, meanwhile, trotted over to the referee and after a few moments the players were sent inside, the officials following. The minutes passed, the ambulance had not appeared, but players came back out to kick a ball or two. Shortly afterwards there followed referee, AR1 and Observer and after further chats the game was sensibly abandoned. There had been roughly a dozen minutes of play and it was already almost 20.30.

Great credit in the circumstances to the two young female physios, who looked after the keeper and to the club officials who helped out in various ways. It appears that the ambulance came and the injured keeper was on his way to hospital by 21.00. The good news is that there does not appear to have been any serious damage and he was sore, but otherwise OK in hospital. Wishing him a good recovery!

As an afterthought, did JCFC win the half-time raffle?