RateTheRef

The referee team for the return leg was Christian Dingert; Benedikt Kempkes and Timo Gerach. 4thers was Alexander Sather, son of former long-serving FIFA Assistant Harald Sather, while Tobias Reichel was in the cellar.

The first half was goalless, which the ticker suggested was a fair reflection of the balance of play. The same ticker wished for a goal for Ingolstadt to make it more exciting, but the home side did better than that, scoring three times between minutes 53 and 66, to put them ahead in the tie. Nürnberg therefore had to find a goal to maintain their 2.Bundesliga status, and finally did so six minutes into added time.

The Regionalliga Nord-Ost got under way last weekend. For the three matches in the Berlin area, spectators were not allowed by the local authority. Elsewhere attendances ranged from about 300 to almost 1900 at Jena.

I have been reminding myself of what I liked about Tom Bauer:

"Arriving very early in a small town on a public holiday when everything is shut, there is nothing for it but to go to Am Schießhaus (checking carefully that predictive text has done nothing unsuitable) there to await

Tuesday 31st October 2017
Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar
TSG Pfeddersheim 0 v 3 SC 07 Idar-Oberstein
Tom Bauer (Neuhofen); Julian Kuhn, Nico Bauer.

Idar-Oberstein is a somewhat larger combination of two locations noted for gemstones, with a fine gemstone museum. Pfeddersheim's ground was a pleasant place to be on a sunny afternoon, with no stand, but benches scattered around the ground. The clubhouse boasts a new extension and the view is of wooded banks on the other three sides. A spot to be recommended, though probably not on a cold, rainy day.

A distant rumbling proclaimed not thunder but the arrival of the officials in the standard jeans and anorak style (Herr Kuhn preferring a hooded cardigan) but each with a bag on wheels. Have they no shame? As JCFC was ordering a coffee, the officials came in from their stroll on the pitch. Herr Kuhn had a not-quite-a-beard and a cheerful manner, his junior colleague initially looking a little serious, but gradually relaxing. It was hard to know what to make of the referee at this stage: he had the manner of someone who knows he has been blessed with half-decent looks (the modish tuft on his chin apart) and intends to make use of them. The offer of coffee from the ladies at the counter was greeted with a flashing smile and eager acceptance. This had its effect, as one lady made him a further offer, receiving the reply "That would be a dream, but not before a match." JCFC 's German was not able to ascertain just what she was proposing - but it may have had something to do with the later appearance of an impressive cake. Herr Bauer's smile reappeared with the arrival of the Beobachter and throughout extended chats with assorted club officials and coaches.The Beobachter, by the way, had to pay for his pre-match coffee. JCFC was left wondering whether Herr Bauer was simply a very nice chap or out to gain maximum marks, both seeming possible when the visitors failed to answer his summons to take the field, but ultimately it mattered not a jot, as he went on to referee the match splendidly.

Before the match JCFC had thought it pessimistic that the scoreboard gave the score as 0-1. This was changed in time for the (5 minutes late because of Idar-Oberstein) start. Had they but waited eleven minutes,it would have been accurate as the visitors converted a penalty. For the rest of the half Pfeddersheim did most of the attacking, but were denied by good saves, blocks, the frame of the goal, a bad miss by their striker when clear and a missing inch on an attacker's jump to nod in a cross. In desperation there was even a dive, but Herr Bauer was not fooled. There was one caution in the half, the visiting number 16 not retreating at a free-kick.

There is no evidence that the visiting number 22 was called Moses, but a minute after the resumption the Red Sea of the Pfeddersheim defence parted before him and he finished well. On 50 minutes a high foot brought a yellow card for the home number 13 and a free-kick, which Idar-Oberstein fired home for their third. There was a yellow card for the visiting number 22 for a triple holding offence on the excellent home 20, with Herr Bauer splendidly in to forestall any possible retaliation. One further yellow went to the visiting number 5 as the match drew to a peaceful conclusion.

Neither assistant switched hands; AR2, the referee's younger brother?,did contribute a couple of flags for fouls, AR1 should perhaps have done so once or twice. Herr Bauer took his personal qualities onto the pitch, communicating in a way not always apparent in Germany. He was quick to indicate no foul in the early stages,employing a shoulder-high beckoning gesture, and showed first-rate triage throughout. His movement was good, if not quite on a par with Herr Kimmeyer's the previous evening and his whistle tone was varied appropriately. An excellent display and a worthy addition to the ranks of the Toms. Mr Kirk's number 3 position might be under threat. If this match was typical of his refereeing, it is hard to fathom why Herr Bauer has not yet progressed to the Regionalliga and beyond."


And at last he has!

In the Oberliga Westfalen, an attacker of Eintracht Rheine informed the referee that he had "scored" what would have been an equaliser against AC Dortmund with his hand, it being therefore disallowed.

I don't know whether I am more surprised about the player's honesty or the fact that he knew the Laws.