Once or twice I've been so cold in the middle of the pitch that I could barely reach into my pockets to mark a score or pull out a card - my hands have all but died from the cold.
And on Saturday, while perched in the press box at the Bath v Northampton game (which is open to the elements at -3C with the wind chill factor) my fingers gave up all hope of typing the match report. Not so much freezing the ba**s off a brass monkey, more like its fingers.
So when I tentifully answered a call on Sunday to referee on Monday evening, I knew that my first purchase with the Christmas cash accumulated from the big day was looming - a base layer just had to be bought.
And £25 later (not too bad I reckon) I am now the new owner of a nice black base layer and am hoping to God that it keeps me warm this evening.
Whether or not it does the job I will let you know... that's if I survive a 7.30pm KO in a freezing Bridgwater - all the name of getting my eye in for the "big one" on Saturday in National Three.
Monday 29 December 2008
Wednesday 17 December 2008
My week gets better...
It wasn't the best of starts to the week I have to admit, but a phone call telling me I'd been selected to represent the RFU at the iRB 7s World Cup in Dubai next year cheered me up no end!
The tournament will see a women's and men's World Cup run alongside one another, with four women officials complementing the 18-strong men's team.
Looking down the list (see below), it will be great to hook up with some people I've met on my travels and these events always provide a great opportunity to meet new friends on the refereeing circuit.
So, I guess I'll being going slightly easier on the mince pies and drinking only half pints of sherry this Christmas in preparation for the event in early March.
But then - no game is bigger than your next one, so here's to Exmouth v Bournemouth in South West One on Saturday.
Women Referees
Dana Teagarden USA
Joyce Henry Canada
Claire Daniels England
Gabriel Lee Hong Kong
Women Assistant Referees
Miho Osawa Japan
Barbara Guastani Italy
Aoifie McCarthy Ireland
Anastassiya Khamova Kazakhstan
Men Referees
Taizo Hirabayashi Japan
David Keane Ireland
Simon McDowell Ireland
Neil Paterson Scotland
James Jones Wales
Andrew Small England
James Bolabiu Fiji
Jean Luc Rebollal France
Carlo Damasco Italy
Marcelo Pilara Argentina
Scott Herbert Arabian Gulf
Andrew Lees Australia
Garratt Williamson New Zealand
Jaco Peyper South Africa
Men Assistant Referees
Alan Whitcombe Arabian Gulf
Grant Bateman Arabian Gulf
James Fitzgerald Arabian Gulf
Mark de Wet Arabian Gulf
Taku Otsuki Japan
Jimmy Toda Japan
Tim Shi China
Tobi Lothian Hong Kong
In Goal Assistants
Nizam Jamaldeen Sri Lanka
Dilroy Fernando Sri Lanka
Harry Mason Singapore
Joe Riddle Arabian Gulf
Referee Managers
Keith Lawrence IRB
Paddy O'Brien IRB
Stan Wright Arabian Gulf
Performance Reviewers
Tappe Henning IRB
Tony Lynch Wales
Dennis Immelman South Africa
Tuesday 16 December 2008
Stuart Barnes
You have to love commentators, or maybe sympathise with them anyway, as often they spout off some pearl about the referee without fully understanding the laws or indeed the officials' protocol about on-the-pitch matters.
Anyway, once again Mr Barnes caused a wry smile to appear on my face when I was listening to him commentate on a Heineken Cup match at the weekend involving a French team and an English one.
The referee, Nigel Owens, boasts a strong Welsh accent and, by this stage of the game, was more than a little hacked off with both sides behaviour and so saw fit to administer a warning in his own inevitable style.
Calling out the skippers, he told them he'd "had enough and they were to stop messing about and scrummage within the laws of the game." (and bear in mind the strong Welsh accent).
But wait - Mr Barnes then declares how unfair that was as surely the French wouldn't have understood a word Owens said, while the English would have!
Yep - of course they didn't. I mean, butter wouldn't melt in their mouths, would it?
Come on Mr Barnes, that was lame, even by your standards...
Anyway, once again Mr Barnes caused a wry smile to appear on my face when I was listening to him commentate on a Heineken Cup match at the weekend involving a French team and an English one.
The referee, Nigel Owens, boasts a strong Welsh accent and, by this stage of the game, was more than a little hacked off with both sides behaviour and so saw fit to administer a warning in his own inevitable style.
Calling out the skippers, he told them he'd "had enough and they were to stop messing about and scrummage within the laws of the game." (and bear in mind the strong Welsh accent).
But wait - Mr Barnes then declares how unfair that was as surely the French wouldn't have understood a word Owens said, while the English would have!
Yep - of course they didn't. I mean, butter wouldn't melt in their mouths, would it?
Come on Mr Barnes, that was lame, even by your standards...
Thursday 4 December 2008
Stupid shorts and hats
It's undeniably bloody freezing, and who could blame touch judges for wearing full tracksuits and gloves at last night's Barbarians v Australia match at Wembley. I don't!
Given the choice, I would have worn a base layer, thermals, kit, more thermals and then a tracksuit. I've lost count of the number of times my hands have refused to work when refereeing because it's so cold. Even putting your hands in your pocket to note a score is painful.
But hark - the murmurings from the "old guard" - wear gloves? A tracksuit? God grief, surely not? In my day..... blah, blah.
It divides opinion in officiating circles, after all, image is everything. Generally speaking, it's a no-no to cycling shorts visible beneath shorts, but a base layer under your shirt is OK. And God forbid anyone who referees while wearing a support bandage, ankle-style boots or keeps a pencil tucked in their sock. (I have my own idea of where I can stick a pencil.)
But when you're on the line, a little more sympathy is allowed. So it's a yes for a tracksuit and gloves, but a beanie hat would send shivers down the corridors of Twickenham, after all, we're British (but with that, slightly stubborn).
However, which IRB nut came up with idea to design shorts with a "pouch" for sticking your cards in down the front? Every time one of the officials in this autumn's international spell reached for his cards, he looked like he was 1) adjusting himself, 2) warming his hands up.
Cards and scorebook in pockets, watch on wrist and as for the pencil? I'll leave that to your imagination...
Given the choice, I would have worn a base layer, thermals, kit, more thermals and then a tracksuit. I've lost count of the number of times my hands have refused to work when refereeing because it's so cold. Even putting your hands in your pocket to note a score is painful.
But hark - the murmurings from the "old guard" - wear gloves? A tracksuit? God grief, surely not? In my day..... blah, blah.
It divides opinion in officiating circles, after all, image is everything. Generally speaking, it's a no-no to cycling shorts visible beneath shorts, but a base layer under your shirt is OK. And God forbid anyone who referees while wearing a support bandage, ankle-style boots or keeps a pencil tucked in their sock. (I have my own idea of where I can stick a pencil.)
But when you're on the line, a little more sympathy is allowed. So it's a yes for a tracksuit and gloves, but a beanie hat would send shivers down the corridors of Twickenham, after all, we're British (but with that, slightly stubborn).
However, which IRB nut came up with idea to design shorts with a "pouch" for sticking your cards in down the front? Every time one of the officials in this autumn's international spell reached for his cards, he looked like he was 1) adjusting himself, 2) warming his hands up.
Cards and scorebook in pockets, watch on wrist and as for the pencil? I'll leave that to your imagination...
Monday 1 December 2008
England v New Zealand
Being the "reserve" referee last weekend meant inevitably I ended up not refereeing as it would appear there wasn't a shortage of us around the region, so I headed off to a local club and watched a second team game.
And soon got fed up of that (sorry, but it was dire) and my will to watch was tested beyond reason, with the referee (who I think I've seen at our society's monthly meeting once in the last three years) seemingly refereeing a completely different game.
Not being able to draw myself to watch the Welsh (grrr) beat the Aussies, it was England v New Zealand and irish refere Allain Rolland.
Far be it from me to criticise, but one couldn't help thinking he over-refereed the first half (especially England) and backed himself in a corner for the second. Four-yellow cards for one side? As for the penalty count 15-5 against England?? Mmmmmm...
Haskell (again- deliberate use of elbow and in full view of ref
Mears - in at side after warnings (doh!)
Rees - after yet more warnings, so had to go for obvious offence
Flood - unlucky to be carded with accidental high tackle
England played Rolland all wrong, communicated appallingly (Borthwick mainly), and I have never seen Rolland get so hacked off with a side before.
But then, Steve Borthwick is hardly the greatest leader of men and England were given enough warnings, but if the best he can do is "what was that for ref?" time and time again, it makes you wonder.
And how many times to England fail to listen to the instructions? The better team is always the one who works out the referee early on, just as the better referees are the ones who work out the teams early on.
England's hammering was not Rolland's fault, far from it, but one of the IRB's top guns was not as his best on Saturday at Twickenham.
And soon got fed up of that (sorry, but it was dire) and my will to watch was tested beyond reason, with the referee (who I think I've seen at our society's monthly meeting once in the last three years) seemingly refereeing a completely different game.
Not being able to draw myself to watch the Welsh (grrr) beat the Aussies, it was England v New Zealand and irish refere Allain Rolland.
Far be it from me to criticise, but one couldn't help thinking he over-refereed the first half (especially England) and backed himself in a corner for the second. Four-yellow cards for one side? As for the penalty count 15-5 against England?? Mmmmmm...
Haskell (again- deliberate use of elbow and in full view of ref
Mears - in at side after warnings (doh!)
Rees - after yet more warnings, so had to go for obvious offence
Flood - unlucky to be carded with accidental high tackle
England played Rolland all wrong, communicated appallingly (Borthwick mainly), and I have never seen Rolland get so hacked off with a side before.
But then, Steve Borthwick is hardly the greatest leader of men and England were given enough warnings, but if the best he can do is "what was that for ref?" time and time again, it makes you wonder.
And how many times to England fail to listen to the instructions? The better team is always the one who works out the referee early on, just as the better referees are the ones who work out the teams early on.
England's hammering was not Rolland's fault, far from it, but one of the IRB's top guns was not as his best on Saturday at Twickenham.
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