From the referee in the middle Rob Buchanan
Fixture
Milngarvie AFC
0 – 1
Glasgow Saints
GDSFC Division 2
These post-match reflections give referees the chance to share their perspective on the game, highlighting their value to grassroots football.
What was the most enjoyable part of this match for you today ?
It was a very busy game, with both sides going back and forward in attack. Each had some very promising moments in the game and either could’ve nicked it in the end.
Was there a moment -a goal , a challenge , or even a bit of sportsmanship- that , for you captured the sprit of the Scottish amateur game today
Yeah. 4 minutes in, one of the saints players (number 4) absolutely smashed into a challenge. It was a caution, and even with game management in mind, I couldn’t not caution the player for the challenge. After 4 minutes, you know it is going to be a competitive fixture.
Any standout bit of skill , character, or respect from players that you think deserves a mention .
Actually the red card for saints. I won’t go into detail on what was said, but the player was an absolute gent throughout the game, a slight bit of emotion got the better of him and the moment he made his remark, I could just see the regret in his face. He didn’t contest the card, and approached me afterwards to apologise. It was a show of great respect in the aftermath from the player.
How would you describe the overall feel of the match – fiery, respectful. end -to – end , or something else ?
Very respectful. I felt both teams, on balance, acted fairly and respectfully to everyone.
Overall , how do you look back on this game from the referee’s perspective ?
Great game to referee. There are some games as a ref where you’re driving home, reflecting on the game, and sometimes ‐ as with players I am sure – you are criticising what is possibly a poor performance, maybe questioning a card, an offside, questioning whether you should’ve gave a card, was it a penalty… etc.
I felt after this game I had a good game and was very pleased with the performance. The major decisions I felt I got right.
How did you find the shouts on your decisions today — just the usual background noise, or did it get a bit lively?
Yeah, just as you would expect from an amateur game. The sidelines weren’t too bad really.
Funniest shout or comment you heard during game
After a bit of skill and beating a player, one of the subs shouted: “Stop it! He has a family”. 😂•
Who gave you the biggest headache today, the ball, the players, or the sidelines
Number 8 from Milngavie. He got booked as a sub before he even came on.
If you could hand out a “Ref’s man of the match’ who would it be and why?
Callum Christie from the away side was fantastic. I think he made 3 goal line clearances.
Thanks again to this week’s referees for sharing their views for this new feature . One thing we learned from last season is that not everyone across the GDSFC knew about our coverage — and that’s on us, as we used the year to shape what Footy Focus was going to be. This season we’ll be working harder to raise awareness of all our features, from Referee Corner to special features, so more people can follow along and get involved.
Footy Focus season 25/26 
Leave a comment