I don't know the specifics of your situation, Simon G, but it seems there's already some good advice on this thread. I'm sorry to hear that things are frustrating for you and wish you the best of luck in sorting them out.
To throw in my own £0.02, I'd point out that whatever the reasons for your reappointment, the level of the game is probably not a reflection on you - it's more likely a reflection of what the reappointments secretary had available. Try not to get worked up about not being appointed to a game "at your level" - this is a trap I fell into in my early days as a ref - and instead treat the game as an opportunity. As ex-lucy pointed out, last season I found myself appointed to a level 11 game. I could have been a real prima donna about it and called in sick, or treated it as a joke - I've certainly met a few refs who would have refused a game so many levels below their own (these guys are the bane of appointments secretaries, and such a selfish attitude disappoints me, because it denies 30 guys an afternoon of rugby) - but the game was there, it was all the appointments team had available and it needed a referee. So I did it. And since L11 players are not as athletic as the guys at L5/6/7 that I normally chase around, it wasn't even remotely taxing physically, so I used the opportunity to tinker with my game. I experimented with my positioning, made sure that I was the first person to arrive at every single tackle, maintained a tidy breakdown and gave the teams a game they enjoyed. The players benefitted from having a higher level ref than usual - by their own admission, it was one of the fastest and most open they had played in a while - and I benefitted from a little self-administered training exercise. Plus, I had fun too - it certainly beat running laps of the park, which is my game substitute for weekends when I'm not appointed.
Regarding the fact you're going back to a club at whom you had a "shocker" recently, I have had a similar experience. In late Feb, early March 2006, I refereed Saffron Walden twice, the two games being a fortnight apart. SW were in trouble and very close to relegation, and in the first game, they were a step closer to safety with the score at 9-3 in their favour against league leaders Eton Manor. With three minutes to go, EM were pressing hard, and I awarded a penalty about seven metres from the SW goal line. EM took a quick-tap, passed the ball wide and the SW prop who was still retiring for the penalty, just slapped the ball down. I gave a penalty try, which EM duly converted to win 10-9. Predictably, SW were livid, and the crowd wanted my blood. Going back two weeks later, the pressure was very much on, because I was immediately recognised, and furthermore the game was against Bury St Edmunds, who were also in danger of relegation. So I put on my best thick skin, and got on with the game, keeping a very tight rein on any tensions that looked like they might boil over. SW eventually won 12-10, though not before they contrived to throw away a 12-0 halftime lead to an interception try and get lucky on a couple of missed drop goal attempts in the dying minutes. If I had allowed the history of the previous game to affect my management of the SW players, I would have faced a serious uphill struggle. My advice is that you just try to put the past behind you, and treat the game as a blank slate - that might be difficult, especially if the players act up on your previous management, but it's the only approach that makes sense.
There is a coda to the story: I also refereed Bury St Edmunds away at Rochford Hundred on the last day of the season. Bury lost 20-19, but stayed above SW on points difference, so SW were relegated after all. I worked out that if SW had not conceded their interception try to Bury, and then Bury had not scored their last try against Rochford, then SW would have stayed up and Bury would have gone down.
And as for driving... I had a girlfriend who drove me to the first five games of my refereeing career, and I realised it simply wasn't sustainable, so I got a car. It's absolutely essential in any society other than London. Fact of life, I'm afraid.
Best wishes.
