EIt’s Sunday on a soccer field in the Eckenheim district of Frankfurt. There is a green strip on one side of the sports facility and a housing estate on the other, and the murmur of afternoon traffic can be heard from the nearby motorway. But time and place don’t really matter. Because what happens in the next 90 minutes, Ian Plenderleith experiences week after week on soccer fields in and around Frankfurt. And not just him, but many referees who referee games in the lower leagues. It’s normal madness. Or, as Plenderleith puts it, hell.
A week earlier, the home club lost their game 16-0. And conceded twice straight red. Plenderleith looks at such stats before a game. Because they give him an idea of what to expect. As always, he goes to the coaches before the game and introduces himself. A friendly first contact can create commitment. Those who have looked each other in the eye treat each other with more care. Perhaps. Plenderleith asks the home club coach how it happened a week ago that his team were so brutal in a game that had long since been decided that they received two red cards. Well, he just has a few hotheads in the team, says the coach. Plenderleith asks him to keep it peaceful this time. No hassles, no nasty fouls. Of course, the coach assures. You just want to kick and have fun.