You can't beat a local derby - and a cup battle between neighbours with history that eventually goes into extra-time is something to be savoured.
Even if you're running touch, you cannot afford to take your eye off play or lose concentration. The last thing you as an assistant referee, as touch judges are now referred to, is want to let the referee down.
On Saturday, a Bristol cup derby awaited and, although the sides concerned didn't seem keen on playing the ball past their fly-halves, an intense forward battle took place throughout the 80 (or 100 minutes as it turned out).
Many people do not fully understand or appreciate the roles of assistant referees and on the line you get to hear the crowd's comments a lot clearer than when you're in the middle.
Now's not the place to bore you with the finer points of running the line, but one thing you take responsibility for is comments from the crowd directed at the referee, and if it's bordering on effecting the man in the middle from doing his job properly, you have to step in.
And so a burly gentleman with a cracking Bristol accent felt the wrath of my flag when he decided to prowl the touchline and tell all who cared to listen that the referee wasn't doing his job properly - I'm sure you catch my drift here.
What is funny, though, is just how quiet these people become when you stop the game, turn the spotlight on them and tell them, politely, that should they wish to continue, they will be asked to take residence in the clubhouse, or even further afield.
Said gentleman then decided that he would tone down his comments, promptly apologised and scuttled off behind the barrier - and not a peep was heard from him for the remaining 60 minutes.
Job done. It's just a shame I can't say the same for some of the Bath fans I sat next to during Sunday's Pool 5 clash between Newport Gwent Dragons and Bath at Rodney Parade.
I bit, if not chewed, my tongue sometimes when one or two spouted a load of nonsense at the officials - on this occasion I kept my mouth shut, just like Mr Bristol!
Dubai corner (six weeks and counting):
Weight loss: A bit, but not as much as I'd have liked
Alcohol intake: Four bottles of larger - again, not as much as I'd have liked
Exercise: Two sessions and a touch judging appointment
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2 comments:
I wonder if these were the same fans that shot their drunken mouths off all the way back to Bath on the train last night? A bunch of middle-aged "men" acting like a lot of schoolkids who'd managed to get their grubbies on a bottle of cider. Sigh.
Shame you had to endure that Bobbins. The plonkers I sat next to had their heads so far up their own backsides they wouldn't have recognised a law book if it jumped on them.
The turkey effect - one says one thing, and they're all gobbing off. Bigger sigh.
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