This being the last few weeks of the millennium I thought that I might get inundated with information about the future - but I haven't!  So there is no secretaries correspondence for this issue. 

I would however, like to end this era with my thanks to all the members and officers who put so much of their time and energy into making a success of our society.  Thanks, one and all.  I am sure that we can go on and continue to be successful in the recruitment, retention, and pleasurable updating, of referees long into the future.

As I write this I am preparing to go out and referee a Sutton & District 3rd division match between the bottom team in the division, Wates and Croydon Deaf who are 2nd to bottom.  A couple of hours ago I was still looking forward to running the line at Corinthian Casuals - but then the phone rang and to ensure that as many matches as possible are covered - in three different competitions - we made changes which ended with me taking this match.  I think I drew the short straw!

I am pausing now to go and cover the match.

Well guys I'm back from the match, I hope you enjoyed that break!

I have got to tell you that the pitch was

terrible, lumpy and bumpy with puddles in the goal areas. There were trees close to the touch lines making for some tricky decisions as their branches overhung the pitch.  This was park football in all its glory. The match however, turned out to be a real corker, and could never be described as the short straw.

Communication is the name of the game as far as refereeing goes and just making it clear to the Croydon Deaf players that they could not wear their necklaces, rings and bangles etc was my first little challenge.  One of their players could hear and speak a little and he was a great help.  I informed the Wates players that we would not have any quick free kicks, as it would be unfair to the deaf players who could not hear the whistle, and so would be unprepared to defend appropriately.

I had a look at my chart when I got home and reassured myself that indeed there are no special supplementary signals to help control a deaf team. I invented one new signal and that was to raise both hands above my head every time I whistled for an infringement - this seemed to work fine. Other than that it was just a case of making sure that all my hand signals were very very clear. I also found that the play on signal had to be overtly obvious with my hands starting very low and both raising up to head height.


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