'You're too fat to referee!'

Well, well, well. I thought I had seen it all in the last few seasons at Non-League level with shocking refereeing displays. Obviously not! Welcome Mr. K Evans who was the man in the middle at the Galpharm Stadium today for the League 1 fixture between Huddersfield Town and Bristol Rovers. Without sounding harsh, I don’t know how anyone of his stature can be classed as a ‘Professional Referee’. I fully expected to see him in McDonalds on the way home, but with them not having a car park, I couldn’t have seen him walking to it! He literally was wider than he was tall and at around 5”2 it was pretty visible. With the home fans outnumbering the away fans by over 12,000, you would have expected him to try to keep in their good books. But, no. Two stone wall penalty claims turned down, several bookings that were given but not deserved and other decisions that to be honest he got wrong. No complaints about the winning goal, as it was one of the best I have seen this season, however with the possession of play Huddersfield had, the game should well and truly have been put to bed by then.

Today did however make me realise even more so, that being a journalist is definitely my ambition in life. The times I have sat at Nene Park, bored out of my head due to poor footballing displays and poor officiating needs to be sorted. To go home afterwards, just to vent my frustration on the internet football forums and Facebook. Although Huddersfield will become my ‘home club’ over the next few seasons, along with the Portsmouth v Crystal Palace game at Fratton Park that I watched earlier in the season, I thoroughly enjoyed watching as a neutral on these occasions. To sit in the press box and laugh along with really how bad some performances have been and to write and talk about them to a wider audience is really something I wish to do.

Talking of which, will start in around two and a half weeks, if not earlier, when I will find myself doing just that in the press box at the KC Stadium (Another ground I am yet to visit) for Hull City’s Championship League fixture against another former Premiership team in Sheffield United. A great chance for me to really see what it is like to fulfil my ambitions. To add to two more events that I have managed to obtained press status for. Moss Lane is the location for my second press experience that I have managed to gain so far. This will again be on a nice and warm Tuesday night for the Blue Square Premier game between Altrincham and AFC Wimbledon, two sides needing the points at both ends of the table.

Fortunately, I have also managed to receive a further Sporting event to create a press report for. No chance of getting cold at this one, despite it being at night! Wolverhampton Civic Hall will be the venue for this towards the middle of November for the ITV Sport ‘Grand Slam of Darts’ event, a sport in which I have a particular interest. This is a major coup for me and I am already looking forward to it.

University has already given me these chances and the next 3 years will hopefully help to build up my contacts to carry out this career for many years to come. Not many people can say they enjoy their job, but I certainly will enjoy mine if this can continue. I have Sports event calendars already coming out of my ears, as well as many ideas for feature articles already and I’ve only just started. Nothing planned for next Saturday yet, here’s hoping to maybe a debut press box appearance..?