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FC Halifax Town: Jonathan answers the call
TOWN fan Jonathan Hyland went to the Shay on Saturday to watch his side's final home league game of the campaign and ended up running the line for 75 minutes.
Match referee Tyas suffered an injury with just 15 minutes of the clash with Trafford gone which, because Unibond One North games do not have fourth officials, led to an appeal for a qualified ref from the crowd to help out.
Step forward Hyland whose previous experience has been in the ranks of the juniors in the Calderdale League
"It was my Jimmy Hill moment," he said, referring to the day the former player, manager director and TV pundit ran the line in an emergency at Highbury in 1972 when Arsenal were entertaining Liverpool.
"I referee occasionally for Warley and am down refereeing the junior finals in a couple of weeks time."
With so many fans offering their opinions to the match officials on a regular basis during games, it would not have been surprise to see a rush of volunteers.
Hyland admitted that he had been waiting for others to offer first before eventually stepping forward himself.
"I was sitting behind Town chairman David Bosomworth who knows I am a junior referee," he said.
"And the crowd of people I tend to sit with at home games said 'here's your moment'
"I was waiting to see if anyone else went forward first.
"But it was great fun and I really enjoyed it and I am pleased to say I got a positive report from the assessor."
Hyland seemed to enjoy the experience and the banter with the Skircoat Stand crowd.
He was asked to run that line rather than the one in front of the West Stand because the remaining appointed linesman had to deal with the benches.
And he had the perfect answer to the question on most people's lips when they noticed he was decked out in a complete match official's kit and his ordinary shoes: "I don't usually bring my boots to the game!"
Perhaps next season, he will.
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Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Cloudy
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