Spare a little festive cheer for all the match officials
Christmas, a time of goodwill to all mankind, which hopefully includes match officials? I wish!
Last weekend’s events at Middlesbrough were enough to remind me that perhaps referees are immune to the festive cheer after I failed to award the home side a ‘nailed-on’ penalty against the aristocrats of Arsenal.
Anyway Christmas should also be a time spent with family and friends all consuming large amounts of turkey and wine. For me it will be slightly different.
Following my match at manager-less Blackburn this coming Saturday, my intentions are to complete (well start actually) my Christmas shopping.
No doubt the daughter wants money and the wife George Clooney, again.
Christmas Day will be celebrated at home, yes I’m sure I’ll manage the turkey but the wine will have to stay uncorked as I’ll be heading towards north London in the evening to get prepared for the Spurs v Fulham lunch-time kick-off on Boxing Day.
It will be interesting to see how the influence of a few recently good results for both clubs will affect the game. I’m hopeful of a very open encounter.
After Boxing Day, I’ll have a day’s rest before setting off again to officiate at Arsenal’s home match against Portsmouth.Then as a way of ‘warming’ down I’m scheduled for a game of golf at Cold Ashby with a group of friends from Ravensthorpe.
However, this year, Santa has been kind as for the first time in living memory (well it feels like it) I have no fixture on New Year’s Day, so instead of listening to countless party goers running up and down hotel corridors on New Year’s Eve, I’ll probably be joining them as I celebrate the new year with my family.
2008 has been a very good year in terms of my officiating. Not only did I perform three times at Wembley (Carling Cup, international, Community Shield) but I was also granted a stay of execution by the authorities when being kept on the panel for a further season.
What will 2009 bring? Who knows, but one thing’s for sure, if I fail to award a ‘nailed-on’ penalty, the festive cheer will once again be in short supply!
Happy Christmas Peter.
