WEEK 16- Essex derby -but all very good humoured.
Sunday- top youths game with keen new young ref as homers coach.
Midweek- students 14-15 so rubbish hometeam card ,not too badly off pace but bothsides not happy with my breakdown mangement (oops).
Esher to watch England Ladies easily put away the Kiwis (could have scored a lot more but for bad options, overuse of chip/cross kick when simple run in would have done the job.)
Ref was v.good (well very tall compared to the girls) but interestingly was his first ladies game for 4 years so took time to adjust (his own observation.) Bit risky for an important international??? (though as said in event he had a good game.)
England coach presents officials and little old me with snazzy new rfu tie at dinner ("but all i did was drink??" - "yes but with such enthusiasm" - england skip)
Interestingly lots of rfu MB and PGB members there ahead of next days important MB so lots of breifing and counter breifing (that would be leaking?-ed.) going on.(was straight after MT had fallen on his sword at PGB meet)
Surprise to hear normally sensible PGB member opine that Slaughters "had gone well beyond their breif by considering the Constitution" er? how do you do a thorough governace review without doing so? Suspect some grandees still think governance just means management
Though given Nigel at Slaughters is a lifelong "Gooner" a fairer criticism might be what does he know about any code of football
Forgo AR slot at St.Andrews t.v. game (see Leggings) for dinner at cinammon with dept.culture,media.sport and their shadows.
Luckiliy they seem happy to keep their tanks off H.Q's lawnfor]the time being (probably too busy with hacking inquiry -ed.)
All week get annoying missives from Dubai reminding me what fun i am missing in the sandpit (ruled myself out due to fitness).
To top it all then get email from comely st.lucia ladies skip.(one of my warm wether trainers) " hugely looking forward to seeing you at tobago 7s" which i had declined thinking it clashed with dubai.( they had postponed it by a week and worse had replaced me with 2 Welsh refs:holysheep: )
Training - 2 x cardio. Alcohol- large.
Week 17- Midweek -arrive at students game to be told is a late cryoff so get to coach (at his own request) one of our distinguished senior refs (who still has it all in spades)
Sunday game is late cryoff also and unneeded reserve on sat. so down to local club to coach last week's keen young ref/youth coach - poor lad has to contend with advisor and very ill disciplined home players as well. Locals get v.rare league victory but game managemnt gets a tad unravelled towards the end (bit late with major bollockings and cards though he has great potential.)
Followed by xmas fancy dress party (boys have great fun asking if i am coming as a proper ref.) Strict TRA (given that my beauty saffer trainer (BST) had got the boys all overexcited by snogging the faceoff coachs model girlfriend at last do) but am now getting strange emails from the physio and her flatmate.
Varsity day- had arranged for Board meet to finish in ample time for lunch and HQ when darned COO drops resignation bombshell so it drags on and on. End up so late watch game in hole in wall at waterloo, day is somewhat saved when BST unexpectedly arrives to console me.
Training- 2x Cardio. 1x Pilates. Alcohol -its nearly xmas!
Sunday- top youths game with keen new young ref as homers coach.
Midweek- students 14-15 so rubbish hometeam card ,not too badly off pace but bothsides not happy with my breakdown mangement (oops).
Esher to watch England Ladies easily put away the Kiwis (could have scored a lot more but for bad options, overuse of chip/cross kick when simple run in would have done the job.)
Ref was v.good (well very tall compared to the girls) but interestingly was his first ladies game for 4 years so took time to adjust (his own observation.) Bit risky for an important international??? (though as said in event he had a good game.)
England coach presents officials and little old me with snazzy new rfu tie at dinner ("but all i did was drink??" - "yes but with such enthusiasm" - england skip)
Interestingly lots of rfu MB and PGB members there ahead of next days important MB so lots of breifing and counter breifing (that would be leaking?-ed.) going on.(was straight after MT had fallen on his sword at PGB meet)
Surprise to hear normally sensible PGB member opine that Slaughters "had gone well beyond their breif by considering the Constitution" er? how do you do a thorough governace review without doing so? Suspect some grandees still think governance just means management
Though given Nigel at Slaughters is a lifelong "Gooner" a fairer criticism might be what does he know about any code of football
Forgo AR slot at St.Andrews t.v. game (see Leggings) for dinner at cinammon with dept.culture,media.sport and their shadows.
Luckiliy they seem happy to keep their tanks off H.Q's lawnfor]the time being (probably too busy with hacking inquiry -ed.)
All week get annoying missives from Dubai reminding me what fun i am missing in the sandpit (ruled myself out due to fitness).
To top it all then get email from comely st.lucia ladies skip.(one of my warm wether trainers) " hugely looking forward to seeing you at tobago 7s" which i had declined thinking it clashed with dubai.( they had postponed it by a week and worse had replaced me with 2 Welsh refs:holysheep: )
Training - 2 x cardio. Alcohol- large.
Week 17- Midweek -arrive at students game to be told is a late cryoff so get to coach (at his own request) one of our distinguished senior refs (who still has it all in spades)
Sunday game is late cryoff also and unneeded reserve on sat. so down to local club to coach last week's keen young ref/youth coach - poor lad has to contend with advisor and very ill disciplined home players as well. Locals get v.rare league victory but game managemnt gets a tad unravelled towards the end (bit late with major bollockings and cards though he has great potential.)
Followed by xmas fancy dress party (boys have great fun asking if i am coming as a proper ref.) Strict TRA (given that my beauty saffer trainer (BST) had got the boys all overexcited by snogging the faceoff coachs model girlfriend at last do) but am now getting strange emails from the physio and her flatmate.
Varsity day- had arranged for Board meet to finish in ample time for lunch and HQ when darned COO drops resignation bombshell so it drags on and on. End up so late watch game in hole in wall at waterloo, day is somewhat saved when BST unexpectedly arrives to console me.
Training- 2x Cardio. 1x Pilates. Alcohol -its nearly xmas!