RateTheRef

A late-running train meant a missed connection in Treuchtlingen, leading to the discovery of a memorial  stone. On the 23 February 1945, as part of Operation Clarion, Treuchtlingen was one of the railway junctions to suffer a heavy American bombing raid. As the raiders' approach was  discovered the top priority was to move a munitions train into the safety of a nearby tunnel. People who could not make it to a bunker took refuge in the station underpass, where a direct hit resulted in the loss of some 300 lives.

The day's destination was Eichsttät, a small town with an important ecclesiastical history and a present-day Catholic University, leading to the sight of a man of a certain age experiencing the difficulty of climbing over the seats in the stand while wearing a cassock. It has a handsome centre and would make a good stop for a stroll and a coffee - provided that you bore in mind the lugubrious PA announcer's claim that the local traffic wardens are always glad to treat visitors to a parking ticket - of the penalty variety.

And so, not before time, to the game

Saturday 24th November 2018
Regionalliga Bayern
VfB Eichstätt   0   v   3   FV Illertissen
Patrick Hanslbauer (Zirndorf); Philipp Eckerlein, Christoph Stühler.

The home side has made is way up through the league and a great point was made of the fact that they currently top the league - dizzy heights indeed. With Illertissen in the lower half of the table, a home win seemed assured.

AR2 was a hand-changer, AR1 was not..Eichstätt forced a good save from the keeper on 10 minutes, but it was the visitors who took the lead direct from a free-kick on 17 minutes and put another chance just wide shortly afterwards.A couple of visiting players were spoken to - number 29 for two fouls, number 23 for childishly delaying a throw. Midway through the half an Eichstätt player took a free-kick, aiming at an opponent who had not retreated far enough. Herr Hanslbauer  was luckily able to indicate a rolling ball. On 27 minutes he called an excellent advantage, returning to caution the Illertissen number 18 for the very late challenge. Two minutes later the home keeper came out to collect a high ball, but an attacker beat him to it to double the lead. They came close to a third, hitting the post, before their number 30 was cautioned for a stray arm. Eichstätt did manage a late chance, but had looked poor in the first half.

They emerged for the second half with the air of a side on the receiving end of a hair-dryer, and their number 4 was cautioned for a high foot. In attacking, however, they left gaping holes at the back and Illertissen's third came all too easily. In a repeat of the first caution, it was the home number 33 who saw yellow after advantage had been played. The visiting keeper had one decent save to make, but the home side's efforts subsided. Three further yellows were shown, one to the visitors,two to Eichstätt..The teams have a match this coming weekend, but  then the Winter pause means that they then have to wait until March.

For me, Herr Hanslbauer - another operating below his pay grade, having been promoted to the 3rd Division for this season - put in an impressive afternoon's work, receiving not only handshakes but several pats on the back from the losing side. His triage had been very accurate, with sensibly restrained use of the whistle and open body-language. His movement was good and he used his reverse gear to good effect. It would be nice to think that at 28 he might move higher still - but that is probably the kiss of death.7 yellows is possibly quit e a lot by English standards, but here represented a referee doing his job accurately and well... and "you ain't seen nothing yet!" ...