The Croydon players may have been deaf but they weren't dumb - in either sense.  They often made loud grunting sounds if they were displeased with a decision or with a colleague. They would communicate across the pitch by sign language and if they were 'talking' to a player near me it looked like they were trying to inform me of something, a strange feeling.

They couldn't call for the ball, or warn colleagues of the impending attention of an opponent, and this lack of ability was indeed a great disadvantage.  However they did have a pattern of play which made refereeing them somewhat easier than many other parks teams.  After a short time I could know, with reasonable certainty just where the ball would go (with a little luck!). 

The match was a hard physical encounter, and swung alternately in the favor of both teams.  The final score was 4 - 5 in favour of Wates.  The outcome was in doubt right up to the final whistle, or was that wave!  This was a match in which I had to give 100% concentration, but my reward was the obvious pleasure all the players got from the game.  As I walked off the field I felt that we had all had a very good afternoon's entertainment and most of us would be looking forward to the first game of the new millennium.

       John Brown

The Great Train
Robberies!!

This season it appears as though my refereeing has become jinxed. Nothing I can do appears to be able to solve my huge problems. The two incidents which  I am about to recount occurred at, or rather on the way to, matches by
which I was travelling by train.

The first case is Wednesday 22nd September 1999, when I was due to be an assistant referee at the FA Women's Premier League match between Croydon Ladies and Millwall Lionesses. During the preceding days, there had been heavy rainfall, and I considered it questionable as to whether the fixture would take place. Sensibly, I called the home club before I set out, in an attempt to prevent a wasted journey. However, my fears were cast aside by a member of Croydon FC, who told me "there's no  doubt about it, it's a bit wet but the match was definitely on".  Confidently therefore, I took the bus to Sutton station and, having just purchased my ticket, I received a call on my mobile (it was my mum); THE MATCH HAD BEEN CALLED OFF. As you would expect, I was not best pleased (to say the least) and made my way back home, muttering a few expletives to myself

                                     continued……...