Sunday 20 December
I woke up feeling under the weather. I knew rationally that this was just a common cold but in the current situation you can’t help but think it may be Coronavirus.
The morning was spent being very lazy and counting down the hours before my football match. It was the first game I had refereed at this particular venue and I was glad that the game was going ahead. The other game I was scheduled to do had already been cancelled due to fears of the virus from parents.
The game I did do, an under eighteens game, was played out under clear afternoon skies with bright sunshine. I was constantly having to shield my eyes. It was a physical game, and a couple of yellow cards, a sin bin and a penalty later, it became silly.
A fight broke out on the sidelines amongst spectators. I’m still not exactly sure what triggered it but I needed to remove all the players from the pitch and allow the situation to sort itself out. At least five grown men were on the ground throwing punches, grabbing clothing etc.
Would it have happened if tensions weren’t quite so high across the country/county? Probably, but it was a final kick in the guts for me and a ‘perfect’ ending to the year. So, the evening played out with me sneezing and drinking mulled cider and wine.
The Bald Birder 