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       #Post#: 93826--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: Whistleblower Date: August 4, 2025, 1:17 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=JCFC link=topic=7047.msg93798#msg93798
       date=1754298962]
       How splendid to have Whistleblower's legal opinion - and free of
       charge! Perhaps he did not wish to be the recipient of a
       negotiable cow. His verdict rather agrees with my own, in my
       case based on very little. I take it that if a keeper held his
       cap in his hand and reached up to tap the ball into the net, it
       would count as an extension of his arm and be treated as
       handball.
       After posting, I too was reminded of Misleading Cases at the
       thought of "When is a cap not a cap?"  This was a rare example
       of a television series living up to Herbert's written version.
       The thought of a benevolent Alastair Simpson as the smiling
       arbiter of goalkeeper Roy Dotrice's twinkling legal footwork in
       some celestial court still raises a smile.
       As the Houghton Weavers sang - they don't write them like that
       anymore.
       [/quote]
       If it becomes widely known that I am giving legal advice free of
       charge, I run the risk of being struck off ! [emoji6]  However,
       I believe I can make a good case for my offering on a pro bono
       basis in this instance.
       #Post#: 93837--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: bmb Date: August 4, 2025, 3:17 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       My lovely IFAB man's response:
       Great question as always ❤️
       Law does state this. I would say it becomes an outside agent
       Consequences of an outside agent:
       Interference with play: If an outside agent interferes with
       play, the referee must stop play.
       Restart: Play is restarted with a dropped ball or a direct free
       kick depending on the circumstances.
       Goal scored: If a goal is scored and an outside agent interfered
       with play, the goal is disallowed if the attacking team was
       responsible for the interference.
       If a GK scored with the peak for me it’s part of his equipment
       so allow the goal
       Thinking back hardly any GK wear caps these days. Unlike in the
       past. Mind you hardly any wore gloves 🧤
       #Post#: 93897--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: JCFC Date: August 6, 2025, 7:23 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       It was a quick return to Myra Shay, this time for
       Tuesday 5th August 2025
       FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round replay
       Albion Sports   2   v   3   Sheffield
       Skander Gadaleta; Daniel McKee, Christopher Moore
       Mr Gadaleta had previously only been seen as an assistant. He is
       smallish, dark haired and light on his feet. Mr McKee was on the
       near touchline, obscured by standing spectators, which at least
       spared JCFC and his prejudices exposure to his tattoos. Mr
       Moore's kit looked almost as "experienced" as he did.
       The main fear was, of course, the possibility of extra time and
       problems with public transport. It was encouraging, then, when a
       short pass split the Albion defence on 9 minutes allowing
       Sheffield to take the lead. This lasted a mere four minutes
       before loss of control in the Sheffield defence saw the ball
       fall to Nathan Cartman, who lobbed it over the stranded keeper
       to equalise. Sheffield were looking much the better side, but
       first the Albion keeper's foot and then, a minute or two later
       the post,p kept them out. Midway through the half Mr Gadaleta
       seemed to miss a handball by a Sheffield attacker leading to a
       corner, but found an offence by an attacker before any danger
       threatened therefrom. There was a push by Albion in the back of
       a Sheffield player, who in turn fell into an opponent, the two
       going to ground, injured it seemed. The restart was a free-kick
       to Albion, not JCFC'S choice, but perhaps Mr Gadaleta should be
       credited with having spotted something JCFC had missed. There
       was a yellow card for a reckless challenge by the Sheffield
       number 5. Just before the break Sheffield took the lead and as
       JCFC consulted his watch he heard a blast of the more alert Mr
       Gadaleta's whistle. There were angry exchanges between player
       and when these had been resolved, Mr Gadaleta issued a yellow
       card to the less-than-pleasant Sheffield number 9.
       A goal just two minutes into the second half gave the visitors a
       two goal lead, further raising hopes of a comfortable stroll
       down to the bus stop - a state which lasted just two minutes,
       before Albion scored from the spot to make it 2-3. Things became
       rather untidy around the hour mark, Albion picking up two
       yellows in two minutes, the second leading to a red.
       Surprisingly, Albion thereafter looked the more threatening, but
       Sheffield clung on to their lead. The walk to the bus stop was
       going to be a doddle ... B,but in the fifth minute of added time
       - Calamity. A long ball found an Albion forward running into the
       penalty area, where he went down under a challenge. JCFC'S play
       on decision was perhaps influenced by the thought of extra time.
       Mr Gadaleta, having been caught unusually, it must be said,
       behind play, whistled and from nigh on 40 yards blew for a
       penalty. The Sheffield captain, who had already shown himself to
       be stronger on his rights than his responsibilities charged
       towards the referee like a maniac, in a manner that should have
       earned him a red card. Fortunately he was intercepted and held
       back by Albion players, but this only had the effect of creating
       a melee, or rather several skirmishes in various parts of the
       penalty area. Matters finally calmed down and it looked as if
       the kick was about to be taken. But no! Mr Gadaleta was not in
       his orthodox position but on the right edge, wisely facing the
       players, where he was joined by Mr Moore. After consultation,
       the Sheffield number 15 was summoned to be shown a red card. The
       kick was finally taken and, Hallelujah, SAVED. Play continued
       for a few seconds more before the final whistle was blown. That
       was not to be the end of the entertainment.  Mr Gadaleta was
       joined by AR2 and several players, during which another red card
       was shown,to a Sheffield man it seemed. Meanwhile Mr McKee was
       doing his best to quell a further incident, largely hidden from
       view, involving large numbers of players, including the
       previously dismissed Sheffield number 15 trying to return to the
       fray. Eventually Sheffield players went indoors and Mr McKee was
       able to join his colleagues, repeatedly pointing in the
       direction of Albion individuals, still on the pitch. Two
       different gentlemen came to pay their respects (or otherwise?)
       All this had taken time and at this stage JCFC had to leave them
       to it.
       A smartly attired and well groomed man had jotted things in a
       small notebook during the match. JCFC had assumed he was a scout
       (unlikely in retrospect as he was there at the end) but in view
       of the attention he paid to the goings on at the end he was
       presumably there as mentor or coach to Mr Gadaleta. He will not
       have had an easy task to analyse the referee's performance. This
       less savvy (by far!) spectator would suggest that in the first
       half he did well, covering the ground well, with effective
       sprints, though with a slight reservation that players were
       being allowed a little too much backchat. As the second half
       became more feisty, however, a referee whose acting skills
       enabled him to appear calm and in control (even when not) was
       needed. Mr Gadaleta seemed a bit too excitable giving off a
       rather frenetic air. He did have some good qualities, notably in
       discouraging time wasting, but in the end his style was not
       quite what this match required. The smart gentleman may disagree
       - I hope so.
       All this had taken time and JCFC had to make his walk down the
       hill even brisker than last week. Even so, on reaching the end
       of Butler Street, the bus could be seen approaching. No way
       would it be possible to reach the stop in time: it would fly
       straight past. But then came the winner of Man of the Match - in
       the form of a lady. Unexpectedly she was alighting there, so the
       bus stopped, and seeing someone tottering towards it, she
       smilingly kept one foot on the step until he was able to board.
       Another good connection at the Interchange saw JCFC unlocking
       his diuretic door at 22.31.
       The ground is singularly badly designed for viewing, so it is
       unlikely that JCFC will venture there again anytime soon, isn't
       it?
       #Post#: 93900--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: Ref Watcher Date: August 6, 2025, 8:50 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=JCFC link=topic=7047.msg93897#msg93897
       date=1754483024]
       Tuesday 5th August 2025
       FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round replay
       Albion Sports   2   v   3   Sheffield
       Skander Gadaleta; Daniel McKee, Christopher Moore
       A smartly attired and well groomed man had jotted things in a
       small notebook during the match. JCFC had assumed he was a scout
       (unlikely in retrospect as he was there at the end) but in view
       of the attention he paid to the goings on at the end he was
       presumably there as mentor or coach to Mr Gadaleta. He will not
       have had an easy team to analyse the referee's performance. This
       less savvy (by far!) spectator would suggest that in the first
       half he did well, covering the ground well, with effective
       sprints, though with a slight reservation that players were
       being allowed a little too much backchat. As the second half
       became more feisty, however, a referee whose acting skills
       enabled him to appear calm and in control (even when not) was
       needed. Mr Gadaleta seemed a bit too excitable giving off a
       rather frenetic air. He did have some good qualities, notably in
       discouraging time wasting, but in the end his style was not
       quite what this match required. The smart gentleman may disagree
       - I hope so.
       [/quote]
       MOAS suggests that the smartly attired, well-groomed man was,
       ironically, Mr Wild; Richard of that ilk.
       #Post#: 93901--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: JCFC Date: August 6, 2025, 9:50 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Thanks for that, Ref Watcher.
       I recall seeing Mr Wild referee an Albion game when they were
       still at Farsley (September 2014) At that stage every time I saw
       them, there appeared to be trouble. Mr Wild handled the match
       very well, but sure enough a couple of players eventually lost
       the plot. Mr Wild took the necessary action and things settled
       down from that point. Albion seemed to have calmed down during
       their time at BPA, but last night there were signs of the
       leopard's spots showing through, but in the end Sheffield were
       equally or more to blame for the unpleasantness.
       #Post#: 93902--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: robbie_scouse Date: August 6, 2025, 10:05 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=JCFC link=topic=7047.msg93659#msg93659
       date=1753628258]
       I had hoped that with the Prima Donna League not having started,
       members might have been tempted by the return of competitive
       football in England to take in a match at Step 5 or 6 and give
       us their impressions. Sadly, it seems not to have been the case
       - non-League football is clearly of little interest here.
       Nevertheless ..
       [/quote]
       As chairman of Crowle Colts FC, I shall be taking considerable
       interest in this topic this season!
       Alas, I am often too busy on matchdays (particularly home games)
       to be able to offer a comprehensive review of the match
       officials, as you do so impressively.
       The three referees we have had so far, two of which I believe
       are newly promoted, have been absolutely fine - and very
       amenable as well!
       Keep up the good work and, if you fancy travelling further
       afield, you are more than welcome to make a visit to Windsor
       Park -  where I can assure you that you will be well looked
       after!
       #Post#: 93915--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: JCFC Date: August 7, 2025, 3:54 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       When the name of your club appeared on the NCEFL website, I
       confess that I hadn't a clue where Crowle was. I looked it up
       and checked transport links. It seems that it would not be
       possible to catch a train back to Doncaster until 19.00, so a
       trip there seems sadly highly unlikely. I shall look out for
       chance to see them away from home.
       #Post#: 93918--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: JCFC Date: August 8, 2025, 3:53 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=JCFC link=topic=7047.msg93897#msg93897
       date=1754483024]
       It was a quick return to Myra Shay, this time for
       Tuesday 5th August 2025
       FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round replay
       Albion Sports   2   v   3   Sheffield
       Skander Gadaleta; Daniel McKee, Christopher Moore
       The ground is singularly badly designed for viewing, so it is
       unlikely that JCFC will venture there again anytime soon, isn't
       it?
       [/quote]
       It is doubtful whether anyone would have been fooled by that
       last remark as the next evening there was a return for
       Wednesday 6th August 2025
       NCEFL Division 1
       Route One Rovers   4   v    1   Maltby Main
       George Rampling; James Ferguson, Peter Binks.
       Late-running buses meant a forty minute wait at Bradford
       Interchange, so the ground was not reached until just ten
       minutes before kick-off, but that was not a problem. Programmes
       were still available, but JCFC had learnt from last time and did
       not buy one.
       The match would not have offered much temptation to attend,
       given the unsuitability of the ground, but the appointment of a
       Suffolk-registered referee swayed the day. The assumption in
       such cases is that he is likely to be a student and Google
       suggested that Mr Rampling was young. He was, but had quite a
       mature look. Sad to say, he failed his first test as it was
       already three minutes after the scheduled kick-off time when he
       led the teams onto the pitch. There was a further delay as Mr
       Binks was busy trying to sort out a drooping net. (Should this
       not have been spotted earlier?) Mr Rampling came to inspect but
       sensibly returned to the centre and conducted the toss without
       him. Play got under way seven minutes late, making it unlikely
       that JCFC would make it to the bus stop on time.
       Rovers made a lively start, hitting the crossbar in the second
       minute and skimming the top of it on 7 minutes. They took the
       lead  five minutes later following a slick passing move. Play
       thereafter was fairly routine though there was a save by the
       Rovers keeper just after the half hour. Mr Rampling had a long
       conversation with the Maltby captain. On 41 minutes a challenge
       saw a Maltby player on the floor, a yellow card being shown to
       one of a trio of standing Rovers players and the free-kick going
       to Rovers, a sequence that seemed odd, but nobody disagreed, so
       it must have been correct. Rovers again came close, hitting the
       metalwork for a third time, this shot hitting the foot of the
       post.
       As the players left the field.for half-time, there was a
       confrontation between two players, very quickly resolved by a
       Maltby coach, who dragged his man away. The gentleman in the
       motorised wheelchair was first to the referee; let's give him
       the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was acting as escort
       and bodyguard rather than as moaner in chief. Once again, time
       was lost - a further three minutes - so the last hope of
       catching the 21.55 bus vanished.
       With Rovers on top, much of the play was in the area obscured by
       standing supporters. Rovers doubled their lead on 51 minutes.
       During the first half there had been token efforts to discourage
       people from encroaching on the hatched area, but now the locals
       decided that if they stood in front of the "no standing" sign,
       it became invisible and therefore did not apply. A row of eleven
       backsides blocked the view of the near third of the pitch, so
       JCFC was obliged to move to the back of the stand and do just
       that for the remainder of the match. The blame ultimately lies
       not with the supporters, but with the idiots who created such a
       ridiculous facility, good for players at all levels, no doubt,
       but unsuitable for spectators, whether seated or standing. There
       was a yellow card for the Maltby number 2 on 75 minutes. Rovers'
       third came four minutes later, the ball entering an empty net
       with the goalkeeper nowhere in sight. On 83 minutes the home
       keeper parried a Maltby shot, the rebound being fired into the
       net from the corner of the box. There was another unusual
       incident four minutes later: a free-kick for Maltby was followed
       by a yellow - for a Maltby player, who was already marching off
       before Mr Rampling checked his card and produced the red. Five
       minutes of added time were indicated (twice) with Mr Rampling
       pleasing holding his fingers against his black shirt rather than
       waving them indistinctly in the air. At the end of these, Rovers
       added their fourth and matters ended without problems.
       Mr Rampling has a very bouncy movement style in all gears,
       though the match did not necessitate fast sprints. He is quite
       vocal, in a polite way, and enforced the "Captain only" protocol
       on the rare occasions when it was necessary. Overall, the match
       was well-handled and always under control. He does show promise
       - a pity that JCFC will remember the poor timekeeping!
       The walk back down the hill was taken at a slightly more
       leisurely pace, but on reaching the same stop as the previous
       evening it was discovered that the shelter was being demolished
       and the "Bus Stop" sign had been removed, with no temporary one
       nearby. I therefore walked back up the hill (a different one -
       this is Bradford, after all) to the stop before, only to find
       that the same situation applied there. Had the route been
       diverted overnight? To be on the safe side, I walked back down
       to the junction. I then figured that walking down Harris Street
       would bring me to Leeds Road. It did and after negotiating the
       busy junction there, I was left with a simple walk through the
       site of the old Bradford Exchange station, arriving in plenty of
       time for the 22.35 bus. Handy to know for future visits - but
       these will be a last resort, and this time I mean it!
       As an irrelevant aside, why is it that the "Exchange" name been
       the kiss of death for stations? I recall that Manchester
       Exchange (now a car park) shared with nearby Victoria what was
       said to be the longest platform in Britain - a claim also made
       at one time for a station in Pontypridd, but in that case it was
       the longest island platform
       #Post#: 93971--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: JCFC Date: August 9, 2025, 5:17 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       It was an easy journey on a pleasant Summer evening to
       Friday 8th August 2025
       NCEFL Premier Division
       Golcar United   v   Sheffield
       Matthew Rose (S&H FA); Matthew Brook, Mervyn Collins.
       One has to admire the way in which a small club has steadily
       improved its facilities in the years since joining the league.
       Being an abstemious soul, JCFC did not visit the recently
       installed bright bar area, settling instead for cheeseburger and
       chips, not the best of choices this time, but it kept hunger
       away.
       Mr Rose, though far from old, even in refereeing terms, has been
       an established figure in this League for some time. He has a
       serious beard, though with a short back and sides there was a
       return of the Jan Suchecki style "cowpat" look. His short
       sleeves were not quite long enough to conceal completely the
       tattoo on his left upper arm. Still, he seemed an amicable soul,
       with many smiles and laughs.
       Golcar, having lost the two brothers who managed the team at the
       end of last season, have not begun the new season well, having
       suffered defeats in their two League games and exited the Cup.
       This may be explained by the number of very youthful-looking
       players in their line-up. Sheffield made the better start,
       firing an early shot straight at the keeper, who could not hold
       it, but recovered in time. Their next attack was unceremoniously
       stopped by a Golcar defender who received a yellow card. Golcar
       gradually settled, with a quick break from their own penalty
       area producing a save by the Sheffield goalie. On 17 minutes a
       penalty for handball - the sort that would never have been given
       some years ago, but is now the accepted norm - was awarded to
       Sheffield, but after a few seconds Mr Rose went for a word with
       Mr Brook, returning to change the decision to a free-kick for
       Golcar. Play flowed rapidly from end to end, meaning that it was
       never dull, but shots were mostly either way off target or
       straight at the keeper for a comfortable catch. Sheffield did
       come close, the keeper's outstretched foot diverting the ball
       and allowing a defender to clear as it headed goalwards, and
       towards the end of the half they saw a shot rebound off the post
       for Golcar to clear to safety.
       At the break a Sheffield manager engaged Mr Rose in
       conversation, with much shaking of the referee's head, but it
       seemed pretty amicable. Mr Rose had certainly had a good half,
       controlling the match serenely with no difficulty. During the
       break, however, Martin Lewis came past, suggesting that there
       might be an early finish. Two of the six sets of lights had
       failed to come on - the one on halfway by the stand and the one
       in the corner on the same side. Though it was apparent that it
       would not be possible to complete the match, it was still quite
       bright and an abandonment would be difficult to sell at this
       point.
       The game then restarted, following a similar pattern as one
       large corner of the pitch became increasingly gloomy. On
       three-quarters time Mr Rose consulted the two managers. It would
       have been perfectly reasonable and eminently sensible, for the
       match to be called off at that point, but instead play resumed.
       An opportunity missed! The folly of this became apparent just
       three minutes later, when Sheffield took the lead amongst the
       darkness at the far end. The visitors naturally now wished to
       see the game through, Golcar equally unsurprisingly begged to
       differ. On 76 minutes the home number 4 received an acceptable
       yellow for a foot challenge, which might even have been worthy
       of a red. On 79 minutes sense prevailed and Mr Rose blew to
       abandon the game, though it might have been more politic to
       choose a moment when play was in the dark corner. Sheffield
       expressed their disappointment and frustration, though Mr Rose
       had no alternative and was not going to change his mind. If only
       the abandonment had come before the goal, things would have been
       so much simpler. Does this count as Golcar's nest result of the
       season?
       The positive from this was that the usual half hour wait for the
       bus was reduced to nine minutes, from a different stop, enabling
       JCFC to enjoy the luxury of catching the last Bradford bus from
       Huddersfield, thus avoiding the walk through Brighouse. In bed
       with a mug of tea and a chocolate digestive by 22.50.
       #Post#: 94013--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pyramid Patrol 2025/26
       By: JCFC Date: August 10, 2025, 12:08 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Life is rarely without problems for supporters of JCFC'S
       hometown club, and so it proved once again at
       Saturday 9th August 2025
       Northern Premier League Division 1 East
       Brighouse Town   1   v   0   Blyth Town
       Abdul Hakimy; Daniel McKee, Skander Gadaleta.
       With the assistants for this game being the referee and AR1 of
       Tuesday's fraught Cup replay, it was interesting that the
       referee was AR2, Mr McKee again being AR1.
       The newly promoted visitors were an unknown quantity, but teams
       coming up from the Northern League are usually formidable
       opponents. It came as a surprise, then, when Brighouse had much
       the better of the early stages, even more so when their tall
       centre back, Harvey Booth, leaped high to head home a corner and
       give Brighouse the lead on 16 minutes. What followed, though,
       was almost a repeat of last week. Brighouse's defence was under
       constant pressure and though they just about held firm, every
       time they won the ball, an aimless long hoof returned it to the
       visitors to renew their pressure. Only once did Brighouse
       threaten to mount an attack, but the break was foiled by an
       off-the-ball collision. It looked accidental to JCFC, but Mr
       Hakimy was closer and the home number 9 received a yellow card,
       during which players aired their different opinions and possibly
       the odd shove, but nothing too excessive. With Brighouse under
       the cosh, the final quarter of an hour seemed interminable. From
       one of Blyth's umpteen corners they headed back across the goal,
       fortunately just wide. Then a Blyth shot was deflected just over
       the crossbar. Two minutes later the home goalie set off on
       safari out wide, the ball back in the opposite direction,
       defenders just managing to prevent a shot until the keeper raced
       back and turned the ball from the foot of the opposite post with
       an outstretched foot. Yet another corner in stoppage time was
       headed by Blyth onto a Brighouse header and thence to another
       attacker who managed to head it over the bar. The halftime
       whistle was a blessed relief.
       Not a lot changed in the third quarter, the difference being
       that Blyth now chose to hoof the ball very high, a tactic with
       which Brighouse actually dealt with rather better. Perhaps the
       difficult state of the pitch may have contributed to what had
       become a dire match. Eventually Brighouse discovered that they
       could actually play a little football, but when they did, their
       number 11 received a yellow card in the Blyth corner obscured by
       spectators, whether for word or deed is not known. Blyth soon
       had their best chance of the game, but put the shot wide when
       clear. On 90 minutes, Brighouse actually managed to hit the bar.
       As added time was drawing to an end, the ball went into touch,
       where it was collected by a member of the home staff, who was
       pushed by the Blyth player keen to take a throw. Players as
       always were keen to join the fun, but it was quickly resolved,
       Mr Hakimy showing a yellow card to the visiting number 3.
       It was good that Mr Gadaleta had a peaceful time after the
       tribulations of Tuesday. Mr Hakimy's decisions did not tally
       with JCFC'S on a couple of occasions - he probably wasn't
       wearing my orange-tinted glasses. It was a slightly less
       commanding performance, but, though only of moderate height, he
       does possess that great quality of presence and was always well
       in control of things.
       Given their dominance for much of the match, Blyth certainly
       deserved at least a point, but Brighouse were happy to have held
       on to all three, which may prove much needed at the end of the
       season. On a bright afternoon, the attendance was a miserable
       157, but at least the majority of us left the ground less
       miserable than is usually the case.
       .
       *****************************************************
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