Off Day

Standing a few yards from the team benches at a non-league football match gives an insight into the often foul-mouthed interaction between managers and players (and officials too, though there the language is moderated to the simply abusive) and at today’s game at Bishop Auckland an on-going altercation between the Ryhope manager and goalkeeper came to an abrupt end when the keeper told his boss to f*** off – the apoplectic manager’s response was to haul him off via the substitute board and replace him with the clearly startled reserve keeper on the bench (who fortunately had consumed no pies); the recalcitrant number one was not even allowed into the dug-out, instead sent like a naughty schoolboy to the changing rooms, with even his place on the team bus home seemingly in doubt.