Tales of a Southern Traveler

Hello to you all from what I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear is a very wet Manchester!! I'm hoping to be able to update you regularly on refereeing events up here in the north and here's my first installment....

Part 1 - Two storming cup ties!

After a fraction under a month's waiting, I was finally able to don the black uniform and head towards a football pitch on a Saturday afternoon (14/10) for the Manchester FA (MCFA) Amateur Cup 1st Round match between Avro and Chadderton. Thoroughlylooking forward to the match, I arrived over the statutory 1 hour before the match in order to carry out all my pre-match checks; everything was in order, the pitch was very wet yet still perfectly playable.

On receiving the team sheets, the home coach happily informed me (with a wry smile) that it was also a local derby and that he hoped I had a good game! (No prizes for guessing what he meant!!)

The game started, and within 5 minutes the score was 2-1 Avro. Following this blistering start, the match settled, with both teams struggling with the conditions (very light drizzle and greasy top surface) but safe to say it was very competitive, with challenges coming from all angles! One such challenge was to bring the only caution of the game.

By halftime, Chadderton had leveled the score and I was beckoned over by an MCFA representative who, after offering encouraging words such as "well done lad, not doing badly at all" and "keep going our lad", sent me out for the second half.

This proved to be eventful, with Chadderton charging to a 4-2 lead before relaxing and allowing Avro back into it. An equaliser 2 minute from time took us into extra time which also failed to split the teams, so it was off to Chadderton for the replay the following week.

If anything, the replay proved more gripping than the original fixture. Avro took a 1-0lead into halftime but it was the start of the second half that really brought the fixture to life. Just under 10 minutes into the half, a push by an Avro defender (who was subsequently cautioned for kicking the ball away) led to an equalising goal from the resultant freekick. Before long it was 2-1 to Chadderton, with the tie tensely poised.

Predictably, they tried to protect their lead by fair means (good defending) and by foul (1 caution for a late challenge and another for kicking the ball
away). Anyway, after the time-wasting antics, Avro managed to equalise 20 seconds from full time, much to the annoyance of the home manager, who enquired where I had "found that long in added time" (not the actual words admittedly, but you get the drift). Nevertheless, once I explained where the added 7 minutes had come from, he still was not impressed (unsurprisingly!).

Extra time brought 1 more caution and a brace of goals!! The final score being 7-5 to Chadderton. Amazing! 20 goals in two fixtures!! If every match I do up here is like this, I could be in for an interesting time!

Anthony Moore.