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| The Wurst of Times; A German Interlude | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Friday, 7. December 2012, 14:19 (9,714 Views) | |
| Jim Carr Fan Club | Thursday, 7. May 2015, 16:20 Post #26 |
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Wednesday 6th May 2015 Regionalliga Südwest FK 03 Pirmasens 2 v 4 1. FC Saarbrücken Justus Zorn (Opfingen); Luigi Satriano, Markus Herrmann With Saarbrücken looking to maintain their promotion prospects and Pirmasens still not safe from relegation, the police expected a lively match and turned out in force. The attendance was just over 3000 but there was little or no trouble. There was no ritual handshake, no net-checking, just a wave to the crowd and straight to the toss.The match got off to a lively start, Pirmasens hitting the post after just 28 seconds, but it was the visitors who went ahead on 6 minutes. Before the match visiting fans had produced a blizzard of those round paper things that Germans put round the foot of beer glasses to ensure that they drip down the front of your shirt, together with a couple of what Peter West used to call euphemistically "streamers." On 8 minutes the home left winger had beaten his full back and was running into the area when one of these tackled him rather effectively. He was not happy and had Herr Satriano not spotted a handball in the resulting break, things might have been quite awkward. Saarbrücken had two players spoken to for fouls and their keeper saved when the home winger was clean through. All this inside 13 minutes. The visiting number 6 rightly received a yellow card for a nasty foul midway through the half. The Saarbrücken number 27 worked his way past 4 defenders but put his shot wide. The home number 5 and the away number 14 grappled over a ball on the ground, with the visitor making a great show of clutching his face in agony. Herr Zorn was not fooled and both players were spoken to before the home number 34 was summoned from a distance for a similar lecture, though he adopted a belligerent posture. The Saarbrücken number 44 saw yellow for a barge in the back in 32 minutes - it was not cardworthy in itself, but he had been one of those warned previously. Shortly before the interval the unpleasant home number 34 had a sly kick at the keeper as he gathered the ball. Herr Zorn seemed about to let play continue, only awarding a free kick when the keeper reacted. Saarbrücken had a great chance from a rebound just 2 minutes into the second period when two attackers were in behind the defenders, but they squandered it. Just after the hour the Saarbrücken number 20 saw yellow for a cynical trip on a breaking opponent. The home number 19 was booked for dissent and the feigning of injuries increased, with Herr Zorn commendably unimpressed. Saarbrücken claimed a penalty for handball on 70 minutes, rightly turned down, and their number 4 was cautioned for dragging back an opponent immediately after. It was proving a game full of errors, but that made it the more exciting. On 75 minutes the home side equalised. When a loud bang came from the away supporters, Herr Zorn immediately requested a warning, which was promptly forthcoming. On 81 minutes with Saarbrücken attacking, Pirmasens broke rapidly and took the lead with the majority of players still in the other half. Herr Zorn to his crédit was well up with play! This was the signal for a few visiting supporters to leave, but four minutes later a ricochet from an attempted clearance gave Saarbrücken the equaliser. Pirmasens had a chance on 88 minutes, but the keeper saved. An 89th minute corner led to Saarbrücken's third goal and a mass Invasion by their coaches and substitutes. Two minutes into additional time the Pirmasens keeper went up for a free kick. Saarbrücken broke clear and their left winger attempted a long shot which was so bad that he sank to his knees in despair. Indeed it was so bad that it turned into a pass for the right winger and after further mishaps in defence the goal was finally scored, with a further invasion from the bench. Herr Zorn had handled the game very well. His movement was first rate with a sensibly flexible diagonal and he varied his whistle tone appropriately. His cautions were accurate and deserved, though a further one for the home 34 would have been equally so! His triage was for the most part very good and he had no truck with play-acting. Given JCFC's record with German officials, this favourable view is likely to see Herr Zorn disappear into obscurity. Thoughts that hand-switching by assistants had now become the norm in Germany were dispelled by both assistants here, though Herr Satriano did contribute some well-judged flags for fouls. Herr Herrmann had an unusual style of flagging then bending his wrist to point horizontally. Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Friday, 15. May 2015, 19:55.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Tuesday, 12. May 2015, 11:53 Post #27 |
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Friday 8th May 2015 Regionalliga Südwest SV Elversberg 2 v 3 TSG Hoffenheim ll Michael Kempter (Sauldorf); Tobias Döring, Tobias Ebe Elversberg were the only side that could deny Saarbrücken their promotion play-off place and when the announcer welcomed the visiting fans in the away end, it became clear that they were from Saarbrücken, rather than Hoffenheim. As with the previous match it was good to see half-way flags once more - they had seemed to be a thing of the past - but then one was removed as it was in the way of a cameraman. The officials' warm-up was conducted away from the pitch. It is frightening to realise that five years have elapsed since Herr Kempter fell from grace over the Amerell affair and that he is now 31. He still sports his trademark "fin" hairstyle, which it must be said is much to be preferred to the cowpat look currently in vogue - not least in York! Hoffenheim took the lead after 4 minutes, a free-kick being played forward and turned into the net by a stretching foot. The fans from Saarbrücken cheered mightily! Elversberg had a shot deflected for a corner, which in turn produced a good block by the keeper, while a minute later it was the turn of the home keeper to save - with his thighs. The second Hoffenheim goal followed immediately, courtesy of a home defender. Elversberg number 6 earned a yellow card on 23 minutes, committing two fouls for the price of one to ensure that his opponent did not get away, and a throw was reversed for pinching too much ground. Elversberg number 5 was played in and when his shot was parried by the keeper it only required a touch from an attacker to score, but sadly none was forthcoming. With the last play of the first half, however, the home side did pull a goal back - albeit a rather scrambled effort. Elversberg number 13 for a foul and Hoffenheim number 21 for what was more of a flicked kick than a tackle each saw yellow in the early stages of the second half. There were further cards around three-quarter time, first for the Elversberg number 32 for a foul, then for two players involved in a minor contretemps. Hoffenheim were creating chances, but kept putting the ball wide, until the 75th minute when their number 18 did find the target. Herr Kempter waited patiently for him to put his shirt back on before the yellow card was shown. Though Elversberg pulled one back on 80 minutes the Saarbrücken fans went home rejoicing and looking forward to the play-off. Neither assistant showed any sign of flag-switching, but performed well enough. Indeed, with the front few rows of the stand unoccupied, Herr Ebe acquired a fan-club of a group of a dozen or so youngsters shadowing him backwards and forwards. One young lady's top even matched the pea-green shirts the officials were wearing. Herr Kempter was very sharp throughout and was quick to nip any sign of trouble in the bud. His excellent fitness ensured that he was always on the spot. He whistled forcefully throughout, even for restarts, but somehow not in a way that grated. Despite a strict line, he enjoyed a good relationship with the players, often with much laughter. A quiet word with the Hoffenheim number 17 after a foul, actually drew the response of a low-five. It was not in the end a difficult match, but that may have been as a result of a most impressive display of refereeing. It seems unlikely that Herr Kempter will ever make it back to the top - Stefan Trautmann never did after a less prominent indiscretion - which is a sad if understandable waste of a great talent. Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Tuesday, 12. May 2015, 11:55.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Tuesday, 12. May 2015, 15:19 Post #28 |
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The hymn tune Wychbold mentioned elsewhere by Whistleblower was unfamiliar to JCFC, but the idea of tunes as a basis for visits appealed. The German itinerary did not allow a trip to see Borussia Fulda in action. Instead it led, though not o'er the world's tempestuous sea, to Saturday 9th May 2015 Regionalliga Südwest Sp Vgg Neckarelz 0 v 0 SV Waldhof Mannheim Patrick Kessel (Norheim); Torsten Bauer, Christina Biehl Entry to the ground involved two searches of JCFC's bag - dirty washing and all - leading to a somewhat hasty and careless shove of ticket into pocket. The said ticket was needed, however, for access to the small low stand on one side. Locating the same in one of many pockets presented great difficulties, the more so as JCFC was trying to balance a slice of cake and a coffee - bought merely as a charitable gesture towards the youth section funds of course! When it was eventually located, JCFC was sent back to the entrance so that the lady could write a letter B thereon - at no extra charge. Access was finally gained to the Holy of Holies, which turned out to be a poor move. Despite plenty of seats, people were determined to stand. An elderly gentleman remonstrated with a rather large and fearsome lady and suggested that she should sit down. She refused, pointing to the spectators leaning on the barrier in front (no yellow lines here!) Had she been a disciple of Martin Luther she would undoubtedly have said "Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders." The elderly gentleman had to join the barrier-leaners, while JCFC spent the match standing precariously on a seat at the back, rendering his notes even more illegible than usual. Herr Kessel turned out to be a youngish man, who looked as if he could weather/age into a Florian Meyer lookalike. The chunky Herr Bauer again had no concept of flag-switching, (could he really be the same Torsten Bauer who was once a Bundesliga assistant?) but the comely Frau Biehl was an accomplished exponent of the art, and indeed of assisting in general. Without waiting for our leader to point out that it takes a woman to do things properly, it should be noted that in addition to refereeing in the women's Bundesliga, she has been a FIFA Assistant for several seasons. The match was a fairly dismal affair, with the Mannheim defence not being troubled at all in the first quarter. Eventually the home side did begin to mount a few attacks, but neither side looked like scoring. On the half hour the visiting number 6 launched himself into the sort of challenge that looked as if it should have rendered Herr Kessel's "ball" signal irrelevant. He was certainly correct to give a "get up" signal to the Neckarelz number 9 who was rolling around dramatically. On 39 minutes Neckarelz had a free-kick and a header was palmed away by the leaping keeper. A second effort was blocked in the same action and Waldhof broke dangerously. A tug back by Neckarelz did not succeed in stopping the break, but the attack came to nothing. No action against the offender was taken. Herr Kessel did speak to the Mannheim number 16 for disagreeing with a decision and with their number 20 for bending angrily over an opponent who was claiming to be injured. On the hour Herr Bauer flagged belatedly after Neckarelz played the ball forward and were mounting an attack. JCFC assumed the ball must have been out of play in front of the dug-out, but instead it was a ludicrously unnecessary free-kick. The visiting number 27 received a yellow card on 76 minutes, with Herr Kessel indicating a forearm lead, but this spurred him into a couple of dangerous attacks. In the first he was clear of the defence by such a distance that Herr Bauer's onside decision must have been correct: any doubt and the flag would have been raised. On neither occasion however was he able to find the target. As the boredom increased, the most exciting thing was Herr Kessel instructing Herr Bauer to make a subbed player sitting on the bench don a distinctive top, though an unidentified Waldhof player also saw yellow for a late foul. Herr Kessel had not done a great deal wrong, but equally had not appeared in any way outstanding - all in keeping with the game itself. Germany was in the throes of a strike by train drivers, with a restricted timetable in operation. The expected train was among those cancelled as was the next. A third, two hours later, did run, though necessitating a further wait along the route. JCFC was definitely lone and dreary, faint and weary by the time he eventually reached his hotel. Whether his arrival in Stuttgart was long-expected is another matter. Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Tuesday, 12. May 2015, 16:23.
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| bmb | Tuesday, 12. May 2015, 18:19 Post #29 |
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Lead us, heavenly father, lead us? |
| Officially a Southern Softie! | |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Thursday, 14. May 2015, 11:37 Post #30 |
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Sung, of course, to the tune "Mannheim." Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Thursday, 14. May 2015, 11:38.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Thursday, 14. May 2015, 13:01 Post #31 |
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With an eye to ongoing rail disruption, JCFC set off early and arrived at the ground to receive an unexpected bonus in the form of Sunday 10th May 2015 Kreisklasse A2 Pforzheim SV Kickers Pforzheim 0 v 7 SG Neuhausen/Hamberg Murat Özdemir (Pforzheim) This was real grass-roots football - or whatever the plastic equivalent is. (The artistic arrangement of dandelions etc around the edge looked most realistic!) The referee was a sturdy bearded individual approaching 40 perhaps, going through the motions in an apparently amiable manner. The two club assistants were there merely to stand and flag for throws, though the home representative soon found this too much of an effort and retreated to a seat in the dug-out. The game began with only three corner flags. The visitors took an early lead and the home side rattled the post on the quarter hour - but that was to be the highlight of their afternoon. Some 10 minutes later, a home centre-back spotted that there was a flag missing and one arrived just before the half-hour, inspiring the visitors to add a couple of goals in quick time. The referee was obliged to produce a yellow card for a pull-back on half-way by a Pforzheim defender who didn't feel like giving chase. The visitors added a fourth before the break. The home side saw two players leave and played the second half with ten men. In what appeared to be a damage limitation exercise they passed the ball around the back four and keeper for as long as possible, but inevitably lost possession eventually and the visitors scored a further three goals. Herr Özdemir trundled around quite happily, though not always watching the play - he appeared to be inspecting his finger nails on a few occasions - and twice at least presented visiting attackers with the difficult choice of which side of him to shoot. Nevertheless the game ran its course successfully, with minimal dissent, quickly quelled. Where would the game be without people like Herr Özdemir to referee matches such as these? Down to the grass pitch, then, for Oberliga Baden-Württemberg SV Kickers Pforzheim 3 v 4 FC Germania Friedrichstal Roman Reck (Weissach), Bahri Muharemi, Tobias Faißt The set-up would have been interesting for a fourth official, as the dug-outs were level with the penalty area at either end. On this occasion there were pre-match handshakes. Pforzheim proved unable to defend set-pieces early on, Friedrichstal scoring with a touch/shot following a free-kick on 8 minutes and with a header from a corner two minutes later. Herr Reck was well-built, with a strange upright short-stepping running style. With the sun reflecting from his thinning fairish hair, the initial guess was that he was in his late thirties, but closer inspection led to a revision downwards to early thirties. This came when he addressed some cheery incomprehensible words and a big grin to JCFC - or maybe, just maybe, to the three young ladies sunning themselves on the same bench. He operated a time-lag on his whistle - just a shade too much for JCFC - but there was little to fault, though a foul by the home number 23 might perhaps have deserved a yellow. He was certainly correct when a free-kick was taken quickly and struck a retreating player - protests were dismissed and the game continued. Within 30 seconds of the restart Pforzheim pulled a goal back, to raise their hopes. Their number 17 then tried unsuccessfully to stop another quick free-kick and it was good to note that Herr Reck had a quiet word subsequently. Pforzheim's hopes received a set-back when they conceded a third goal on 55 minutes. They are looking likely relegation candidates and points were badly needed. Herr Reck's one serious mistake came after 70 minutes: he (and Herr Faißt) missed a clear foul out wide that left a Friedrichstal player down injured. Amid cries to put the ball out, Pforzheim carried on and eventually beat the keeper with a long-range shot. There were protests from Friedrichstal, but Herr Reck coped well enough and they were remarkably muted - all the more remarkably so when Pforzheim went on to draw level shortly afterwards. Friedrichstal were not to be denied however, eventually scoring the winner on 79 minutes. Towards the end the Friedrichstal number 21 lost out in a tussle for the ball with an opponent and proceeded to demolish the corner flag in a tantrum. This earned him a word of warning, but surprisingly no card. Instead it was a Pforzheim player who saw yellow at the other end moments later, before the game ended with handshakes all round. Herr Reck went home having performed reasonably well, though not outstandingly so, JCFC went back to Stuttgart ready to return home next day and Kickers Pforzheim went to prepare for their next match. This, it turns out, resulted in an 11-0 defeat. It is surprising that a city the size of Pforzheim cannot produce a bigger and better club. And Herr Reck, it appears, is just 25! Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Thursday, 14. May 2015, 13:05.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Sunday, 14. June 2015, 21:39 Post #32 |
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Some time ago JCFC entertained a young Australian relative with visits to Skernieland Cemetery and Fenwick Churchyard. It transpires that she subsequently sent her cousin over to repeat the visits - minus JCFC. This proves either that she enjoyed the experience - or maybe that she hates her cousin. Be that as it may, last weekend she was back, with her sister and niece in tow, and JCFC was summoned to Chirk for a trip on the Llangollen Canal. (The much-missed Diogenes would have been reminiscing, no doubt.) That effectively ruled out football for that weekend, but in Germany Westfalen's season ends later than elsewhere. Checking that their Oberliga had a match on Saturday as well as Sunday, JCFC made the bookings. Alas, a couple of days later the Saturday match was switched to Sunday, but a trawl of lower leagues came up with Saturday 13th June 2015 Landesliga Westfalen Staffel 1 SV Avenwedde 2 v 4 TuS Tengern Nikolas Wicker (Paderborn); Jonathan Hartel, Tim Feldmann The officials arrived in casual attire - Herr Wicker in shorts and T-shirt, Herr Feldmann in jeans and T-shirt and Herr Hartel also in shorts, but with a smart referees polo shirt. To English eyesight was unusual to find them still seated at their table 25 minutes before kick-off. Herr Wicker, incidentally, had a Coke, Herr Hartel a hot drink and Herr Feldmann a pained expression. JCFC had established that a bus at 17.54 would save a walk and a long wait, so was miffed when the teams wandered out late and even more so when this was the prelude to verbose presentations to departing players and the match got under way 6 minutes late. For the first couple of minutes Herr Wicker did not move as the visitors passed the ball backwards and forwards across their penalty area. When they finally launched a threatening attack, it became clear that he was a committed stroller - no sprinting for him! On 4 minutes a ball from the right wing was turned into his own net by a Tengern defender. The PA announcer credited the goal to the attacker - JCFC did not. Tengern nearly scored a second own goal moments later, heading a cross just over the bar. That perhaps explains why Avenwedde were allowed to head a cross home unopposed after 8 minutes. Tengern gradually got their act together at the back, though on 12 minutes a fierce Tengern shot was blocked by another attacker, whose effort was in turn blocked by the home keeper.They did score on 17 minutes, again after an initial block, and a nicely worked equaliser came on 26 minutes. Tengern proceeded to create a succession of excellent chances, and when a defender gifted them the ball after 35 minutes, they took full advantage. Arriving early, JCFC had selected the best possible seat, but being the kind and generous soul you did not know him to be, had moved progressively sideways to allow later arrivals to sit together. This brought him close to the dugout and when on 36 minutes the Avenwedde number 11 went in for a heavy challenge, the impact was heard - as was the yelp - but the contact was hidden from view. Suffice it to say that the production of the red card was the fastest Herr Wicker moved all afternoon and the only person to complain was the offender. This he did in instalments, being finally led away from a group of opponents by a colleague. Herr Wicker managed to claw back a couple of the lost minutes at the interval and was soon in action again,showing yellow to the home number 8 for pulling back an opponent just outside the box.When the home number 5 committed a similar offence on an attacker clear in behind the defence in a central position, he too saw yellow. It could, even should, have been red and he went on to try the referee's patience with a couple of further fouls before being subbed. A Tengern player also saw yellow towards the end, though to which of a group of three players it was addressed was not clear. Tengern scored their fourth on 83 minutes, after the attacker had appeared to beat his defender too many times. No additional time was played - and JCFC caught his bus! Brownie points for Herr Wicker. Google informs us that in 2010 at the age of 20, he was the highest ranked referee in the splendid city of Paderborn (Manchmal stur doch immer herzlich - this time even Microscopist might be defeated!) How far, if at all, he has progressed since then is not known. His decisions were well accepted, which says much for his distance vision, and though not obviously very vocal he appeared to relate well to the players. Quite why a slim young man should be so flat-footed in his movement - it is tempting to use the word "lazy" - is hard to fathom. Herr Hartel changed hands correctly throughout, unlike his colleague, and contributed the odd useful flag for fouls, though he did slip up when overseeing a double substitution, as both subs came on while one of the outgoing players was still many yards from the touchline. We can forgive him that one. All told Avenwedde had been a pleasant spot to spend what turned into a sunny afternoon - the midges certainly thought so! Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Monday, 15. June 2015, 07:43.
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| microscopist | Monday, 15. June 2015, 09:31 Post #33 |
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Hmm! Perhaps in my case "... meine Stadt ich liebe dich ... " might be more apposite? |
| AKA Cassandra | |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Monday, 15. June 2015, 10:21 Post #34 |
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It seems that I Lied! Well done once again, Sir. |
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| QuoCob | Monday, 15. June 2015, 12:24 Post #35 |
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Played, coached and officiated a few times at Avenwedde... |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Tuesday, 16. June 2015, 10:18 Post #36 |
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Was that in "Two-Way Family Favourites" territory? |
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| QuoCob | Tuesday, 16. June 2015, 10:24 Post #37 |
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It was.. ;) My last game there was a cup quarter final, losing on penalties... Edited by QuoCob, Tuesday, 16. June 2015, 10:25.
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| microscopist | Tuesday, 16. June 2015, 10:26 Post #38 |
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At first I thought "Lied" was a bit harsh, but then I noticed the upper case L and see a tie back to the music. :clap: In this case I was lucky in that my first guess proved fruitful, it could equally have been the 99th guess. I also think that your carefully crafted and researched report, weaving Australia, Fenwick, Llangollen and a German song about Paderborn into a refereeing report, deserves a bit more response. I had three thoughts:- The first would have produced disapproval and so it was forced to the back of my mind. The second thought is slightly bifurcated and derived from a youtube video of the song and thinking that the song and the crowd on the video was perhaps unsuitable for your, no doubt, impressionable, young Australians. I was reassured to think that there was little likelihood of such an exhibition round Llangollen; but then I looked at the background and saw a distinct similarity to my one visit to an eisteddfod in Llangollen - many years ago. The crowd and the music were somewhat more genteel than in the video, I hasten to add. The third thought was to the opportunity that I missed recently. Mrs M and I met an Australian couple in the "Poet's Corner Cafe" - opposite Burn's Cottage in Alloway - and as is her wont Mrs M engaged them in friendly conversation. It turned out that they had been born in Scotland but left for Australia early in life and were now making a return visit. They were staying in Glasgow and travelling around by bus. Had I realised the attraction that Fenwick graveyard holds for Australians I could have advised them to choose an X77 calling at Fenwick in order to visit the graveyard. |
| AKA Cassandra | |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Tuesday, 16. June 2015, 11:10 Post #39 |
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The Oberliga match switched from Saturday to Sunday ended with a 3-6 scoreline, but on a glorious sunny day JCFC had instead made the scenic journey from Essen (not scenic, that part!) to Sunday 14th June 2015 Oberliga Westfalen TuS Erndtebrück 1 v 0 FC Gütersloh Jonas Seeland (Hagen); Thorsten Kleiböhmer, Patrick Lepperhoff Erndtebrück is a small town and its football club has progressed from the Bezirksliga in 1989, to the Landesliga in 1994, the Verbandsliga in 2000 and the Oberliga in 2011, finishing champions this season to progress to the Regionalliga for 2015-16. The above details were gleaned from one of the T-shirts they have printed to celebrate their promotion ... in which JCFC, unusually, invested. There was a generally celebratory air about the occasion, interrupted only briefly by a handful, or maybe two handfuls, of visiting supporters who set off three green smoke canisters as the teams emerged, filling the stand for some minutes. This was even more pointless than usual, as their team were not in their usual green, but an all-blue strip. All credit to the visiting coach who marched across the field, read them the riot act and photographed them as a guarantee that further misdemeanours would be punished. There were the usual presentations to departing players and the game started four minutes late - JCFC's train was at 16.57 and the station almost a kilometre away. The home side played some excellent football, but the visitors defended bravely, with their keeper in fine form - most notably of all when a team-mate lofted a back-pass from near half way and he had to make a brilliant leap to turn the ball away from goal. Even he, however, could do nothing to save an excellent penalty in the 55th minute - an award clear-cut and not disputed - though he continued to distinguish himself to the end. Herr Seeland is a tall, slim young man and proceeded to handle the game well. He covered the ground easily, without appearing hurried, and was always up with play, though in the German style he stuck more closely to his diagonal than English officials would do. He also adjusted his position quickly as play developed. The spirit between the players was good and he had few problems to deal with, the few there were stemming from interventions by the assistants. Herr Kleiböhmer is a small balding bespectacled individual, who showed no indication of switching his flag. One early correct offside decision saw him raise his flag and continue running for a good ten metres. A flag for a foul against the home side led to a warning for their number 10, who had knocked the ball petulantly in his direction. Herr Lepperhoff was a more cheerful individual and was an inveterate hand-switcher, but alas! in a totally random fashion. In the second half he fell foul of players from each side. First the home number 31 was dragged down in a tussle with the full-back, but Herr Lepperhoff must have seen an earlier foul, as his flag pointed for a kick for the defence. Number 31 was not amused and Herr Seeland had to race over to intervene with a word. Within a couple of minutes a similar tussle led to a flag for the attacker and this time it was the defender who berated Herr Lepperhoff, with the referee again calling him away. Number 31 was again displeased when Herr Lepperhoff flagged somewhat late for a free-kick in his favour, just as he thought he had worked an advantage. Each of the two subsequently earned a yellow card - the Gutersloh 18 for an attack-stopper and the Erndtebrück 31 for flouncing and bouncing the ball when Herr Lepperhoff adjudged that it had gone out for a throw. Once again, the final whistle was blown on exactly 90 minutes - despite substitutions - and a brisk walk meant that JCFC caught his train. And so the 2014-15 finally ends (JCFC resisting the temptation to head North and see David Lowe and David Munro handle their final Junior games on Wednesday and Thursday.) June 22nd, however, sees the draws for the early stages of the European competitions. Maybe another visit to the fair city of Airbus will be on the cards, or possibly somewhere else ... but not this time to Motherwell - sorry Tweed! Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Tuesday, 16. June 2015, 11:15.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Wednesday, 17. June 2015, 11:24 Post #40 |
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In fact, for once JCFC got one right: Justus Zorn is among those promoted to the 3. Liga list for next season!!! |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Friday, 27. November 2015, 23:32 Post #41 |
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The cheap flights this time landed JCFC in Hamburg. For those unfamiliar with the German League structure, the three Bundesligen are followed by a fourth tier comprising 5 Regionalligen and a fifth of 14 Oberligen. It was one of these that offered Friday 27th November 2015 Oberliga Hamburg SC Victoria Hamburg 1 v 1 TSV Buchholz 08 Benjamin Stello (Hamburg); Tobias Gehmert, Ben Henry Uhrig As an indication of the different culture, at 18.44 (KO 19.30) the officials entered the clubhouse, removed coats and settled to partake of a collation of grapes and bread. Drink orders were taken, with Herr Stello receiving a very large cola, Herr Gehmert a huge cup of what looked like milky coffee and Herr Uhrig a more manageable soft drink. JCFC's hopes of watching an UACSOTF had been dashed by the appointment of Herr Stello. He is 38, short, tubby and bald so clearly did not fit that category. JCFC was prepared to dislike him as a result, but he was so full of bonhomie and good cheer that this did not last. Herr Gehmert is a few years younger, marginally less tubby and with more hair - though heading in the same direction. That left Herr Uhrig, a slim earnest youth, who looked about 15. They were joined at their table by a cheery individual, leaving JCFC wondering if he was right to think that this was Sascha Thielert. Their drinks finished, they headed out at 19.05, appearing to warm up at 19.15, retiring again at 19.19. That's the sort of warm-up for JCFC! The first half was notable for the fact that it was very cold. A wilful attack-stopping trip by the home number 31 should have brought him a yellow card, but he did not even receive a warning. The only goalmouth excitement came just before the break, when a Buchholz header was tipped over the bar. Herr Gehmert had had a busy half with offside and free-kicks. Herr Uhrig had not. Neither showed any inclination to switch hands. The second half was notable for the fact that it was even colder. Victoria had brought on their number 13 at the interval and he instantly announced his arrival with a thwack at an opponent's legs. The free-kick was rightly given, but Herr Stello did not feel a warning was required, let alone a card. A difference of opinion between the referee and Herr Gehmert over a throw led to complaints from the visiting bench. Victoria took the lead with a header on 73 minutes. Buchholz netted shortly afterwards, but from an offside position. They continued to press for an equaliser and the home keeper had to save acrobatically. He was though unable to prevent the equaliser on 90 minutes - and in time added the home 31 repeated his cynical trip of the first half and this time the yellow card was shown. Herr Stello's movement is somewhat stately and he was often at some remove from play, though he did push himself to stay in touch with breaks from defence. With the exception of one clear deflection for a corner given as a goal-kick, his decisions appeared accurate and two disciplined teams made things relatively easy. He has recently returned to action after a break from the game as a result of abuse received, and seemed to enjoy his evening. There is no upward path for him, but he does a decent job - though whether he would manage at Contributory or Supply level is debatable. Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Friday, 27. November 2015, 23:36.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Saturday, 28. November 2015, 22:11 Post #42 |
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A 1.00 PM kick-off meant an early morning departure and even once dawn had arrived it did nothing to dispel the idea that dark and cheerless is the morn. And so to Saturday 28th November 2015 Regionalliga Nord VfL Wolfsburg ll 8 v 1 Eintracht Norderstedt Jost Steenken (Nordhorn): Björn Maertens, Daniel Fleddermann The warm-up showed Herr Steenken to be a slim young man - he is 23 - with an athletic build, his leg-over technique being of a particularly high order. The home side took the lead within the first minute and added a second on 9 minutes. It was not until the 28th minute that their third arrived, following a curling free-kick on the touchline. A bad challenge within seconds saw the Wolfsburg players immediately summon assistance for their colleague and Herr Steenken, after attending to the injured man immediately went to his back pocket and produced the red card for the visiting number 9, which provoked no argument. An attempt to offer what appeared to be an apology produced an angry response from the player on the floor. Norderstedt actually managed to win a corner after 38 minutes and got a shot in therefrom, but that apart it was one-way traffic. Early in the second half Wolfsburg sent five substitutes to warm up behind the goal, with a trainer supervising. Herr Steenken eyed this quizzically, but took no action until Norderstedt grabbed a goal on 54 minutes. At this point he had a word with the home captain, who went over and the supervisor retreated, leaving the five to their own devices. It seemed a strange way of going about things. Wolfsburg got their fourth on 65 minutes and took their total to eight before Herr Steenken put an end to the slaughter dead on 90 minutes. Herr Steenken covered the ground splendidly, with excellent reverse gear and good anticipation and adjustment of position, though he could have been a little less rigid in his diagonal. He has what seemed a dangerous habit at attacking free-kicks: he stands in front of the ball, facing the kicker until he has shown the whistle, then paces out the distance backwards. In this game there was little or no jostling in the area, but it seems unwise to turn one's back on a crowded penalty area for a considerable period. His triage was good, though one challenge in the first quarter by the visiting number 14 looked on the verge of legality but was allowed to pass. It was not a difficult game, though there was a brief reaction to a foul towards the end, during which a home player feigned a head injury. Herr Steenken was not fooled and settled for a lecture to the two involved, which seemed the correct level of response. That apart, he dealt with offences by a quiet word in passing, which worked well. In common with most of his compatriots, though, he uses no preemptive patter. So, very good decision-making, coupled with firmness when required - could this be the UACSOTF we have been waiting for? Sadly, not yet as he did not show signs of using his personality to the full and never once appeared to smile. It may be that he is still finding his confidence at this level; or maybe German Beobachter look askance at any sign of frivolity; or he may even be one of nature's misery-guts. If he could only add a lighter touch to his armoury, he could become a fine official. And Hallelujah! The slightly portly young Herr Maertens switched hands appropriately. His colleague, though, did not. Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Sunday, 29. November 2015, 05:56.
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| bmb | Saturday, 28. November 2015, 22:26 Post #43 |
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Pinned this topic to the top now :) |
| Officially a Southern Softie! | |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Saturday, 28. November 2015, 22:32 Post #44 |
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I'd unpin it forthwith. It is of no interest to most people, and unless others join in, it will only get updated two or three times per year. Unless, that is, Level 3s in the North of England feel it is worth paying for further trips to get me off their backs. |
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| microscopist | Sunday, 29. November 2015, 14:22 Post #45 |
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Aw! Just after I noticed its elevated status and thought that it did indeed cheer my eyes and warm my heart. :bouncy: |
| AKA Cassandra | |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Sunday, 29. November 2015, 16:41 Post #46 |
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And so, as intimated recently, to Hannover, where JCFC spent the night, if not exactly pavilioned in splendour, at least comfortably enough. Next morning, however, all was most definitely not glorious above as a leaden sky was emptying its contents on those beneath. As lunchtime approached, JCFC, nothing daunted, forked out €16.40 on a rail ticket and €2.35 bus fare to take in the Regionalliga match between VV Borussia 06 Hildesheim and ETSV Weiche Flensburg. Though the rain had relented slightly, it had not been a question of a sweet distillation. Here It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, With puddles it fills any fields that won't drain. The match was off. At least they had the decency to post a notice to that effect. After a short walk around the complex of pitches, a further investment of €2.35 allowed JCFC to ride back to the station on the bus, rather than his chariots of wrath. As the fox with the grapes, the conclusion was that Lukas Ķirchland would have been no good! Back in Hannover, the TV was showing a less than impressive-looking Felix-Benjamin Schwermer muddling his way through the second half of the Regionalliga match between Jena and Zwickau. This produced excitement after the final whistle as scuffles broke out. The home keeper went ape, a situation not improved when he was shown a red card. Players and managers had fun falling out with those trying to restrain them and it took much hard work by the Zwickau keeper to calm his opposite number sufficiently to get him off the field. It is as well he will be suspended, as his hand will have time to recover from the attack on the dugout en route. Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Sunday, 29. November 2015, 16:43.
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Sunday, 29. November 2015, 20:45 Post #47 |
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If Whistleblower is planning a follow-up to his magnum opus on the foibles of toasters in British provincial hotels, he could do worse than produce a continental version. That at the Novotel Suites Hotel in Hanover offers the idiosyncrasy of toasting only one side of the bread.Mind you, to someone of my age that was always the case - whether under the grill or on a fork in front of the fire. When I was very young I was given a toy stove (why?) which produced excellent miniature slices whenever Mum was making toast, but for some reason it would only work when I was not in the kitchen. |
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| Whistleblower | Wednesday, 2. December 2015, 10:47 Post #48 |
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JCFC my follow up work will I think involve the existential nature of the hotel trouser press. Does it actually have any real existence let alone function? Just giving something a name does not prove it exists. Most times I fail to see how, in any way, it works and if a press can be achieved it is never along the natural crease of the trouser but always in a quite random place. May I though, take the opportunity of saying how very much I enjoy your reports and am full of admiration for your style and the many allusions. They glad my eyes and warm my heart. |
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| Jim Carr Fan Club | Thursday, 3. December 2015, 18:59 Post #49 |
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The television schedule meant that there was one fixture available on Tuesday, so the trip was made to Tuesday 1st December 2015 Regionalliga Sud-West Offenbacher FC Kickers 1901 2 v 1 KSV Hessen Kassel Marcel Beck (Schöntal); Marco Zauner, Marco Gegner Perhaps to avoid being taken for a troupe of Parisian cancan dancers, the home team is usually known as Kickers Offenbach, rather than the other way round - though OFC seems to be the fans' preferred term. Having paid for the best available seat, JCFC was displeased to find himself close to the TV commentators and did not appreciate having his view slightly restricted at the best of times and totally blocked by the regular comings and goings of a succession of assorted necessary evils - lighting man, cameraman, chap to hold the cameraman's cable - and the odd unnecessary one - girl to straighten the scarf of the pitchside prat. To this was added an ever-changing stream of different occupants of the expert's seat and patience was tested to the limit, explaining why JCFC's take on the game was less favourable than the Sport 1 report, which refers to a thrilling derby. (Offenbach and Kassel are some 200 kilometres apart!) The Kassel fans presumably were not seen in shot, as they displayed a large banner with highly a uncomplimentary reference to the TV station. Kickers came closer early on, but their finishing was weak, and Kassel had a great chance, but spooned the ball over the bar from short range. They did go ahead on 17 minutes, however, but the home side equalised 7 minutes later. Herr Beck should probably have produced a couple of yellow cards in the first half - both to visitors, number 8 for a tactical trip, which drew a clear "no more" signal, and a colleague for dribbling the ball away from the scene of a free-kick to Offenbach. Kickers netted early in the second period, but from an offside position. The Hessen 8 did not recall his warning and committed a further foul, but Herr Beck did not seem to remember it either and the card again did not appear. Hessen had brought on number 15, who proceeded to foul anybody within range without any clear warning from the referee. Eventually he did see yellow for a foul just after the hour, but possibly only because of the reaction of the home players. Either way, it came a couple of fouls too late. A free-kick for offside was taken a good fifteen metres forward of the spot - not a major problem, but indicative of a lack of awareness on the part of Herr Beck and Herr Zauner. The Hessen number 8 did at last receive a yellow card - it could have been his third - for another attack-stopping foul. Shortly afterwards he went down injured and was in the process of being helped off when number 3 went down and chaos ensued as players rushed to the scene in apparent panic. The trainer joined the rush, leaving number 8 to limp off and be replaced as number 3 recovered. All rather strange. Kickers went ahead on 74 minutes with a stooping header from a free-kick and three of their defenders soon received yellow cards. On 86 minutes a slip by a Kassel defender left an attacker running towards goal. The keeper came across and brought him down. From the stand, JCFC would have been inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt - wrongly, it would appear, as match reports did not question the decision to show the red card and award a penalty. Kassel players did question it, but then they questioned most things. They had plenty of time to do so as an attacker had to take over in goal. Eventually the penalty was taken ... and sent over the bar. A minute later the ersatz keeper went down to collect the ball, an attacker arrive a split-second later and connected with him. Again there were urgent calls for assistance and both physios raced on. He resumed after lengthy treatment, but really should not have done so as he was clearly dazed and wandering out of position. Fortunately there was not long to go and no further harm was done, though he subsequently went to hospital. Herr Beck appeared to be rather inconsistent in his triage and his sanctions. He could have imposed himself rather more in the early stages, but somehow kept his distance from the players when at least a word was called for. He was not always helped by the players, but in English terms appeared like a goodish Level 4 or a weaker Level 3. He did however know how to use a hanky! Neither assistant showed any sign of hand-switching. Young Herr Gegner did at least remember to do so before flagging for a throw to "his" defence. Herr Zauner flagged then switched or on occasions simply turned sideways to point upfield. Having done enough travelling for the moment, JCFC intends to stay closer to home at the weekend. PS Thanks to Whistleblower for his dainty compliment, though "delusions" might have been as apt as "allusions." Edited by Jim Carr Fan Club, Thursday, 3. December 2015, 19:10.
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| Dublinref | Thursday, 3. December 2015, 23:37 Post #50 |
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Been reading this for a while and just wanted to say it's a great thread and I really enjoy your reports!! |
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