We are now halfway through the season and things are starting to ‘hot-up’ with the potential winners and runners-up emerging, as well as some relegation candidates.

Double-headers possible
The weather is also playing a significant part. It has been extremely wet over the last few weeks and we have lost a few games. I do not think that this is going to abate and we could well be forced into arranging ‘double-headers’ before long. No-one wishes to do this but it could be inevitable and we will need to take stock at the end of January.

Authorities must get to grips with race hate in football
Sadly, racism and antisemitism has been n evidence in recent weeks and the authorities need to get to grips with this to stamp it out. It is an evil that has been in existence throughout the whole of my life and I doubt will ever be cured due to in-depth hatreds that exist. Obviously, it is something we do not experience within the JCMaccabi (Southern) Football League being the animal we are and this is the very reason why we must not deviate from our ‘raison d’être’ to exist as a solely Jewish league. Were we so to do we would rapidly lose our identity.

Let the officials officiate
There has been a trend, from time to time, for some teams not to accept Referee's decisions and further to that to post adverse comments on the media websites. This is totally unacceptable for a number of reasons, not least the possibility of losing the services of match officials. A lot of hard work going in to obtaining and retaining referees. Misdemeanours within the perimeter of the pitch, although not welcome, are part and parcel of the game and are well catered for within the FA's disciplinary 'code of conduct'. What is not acceptable is confrontations after the games either in the referee's dressing room or the car park or as previously stated media postings.

A whole new ball game
I attended one game in the Peter Morrison tournament where the ‘repeated substitution’ was used. I think it is too early at the moment to form an opinion but my initial re-action is that is restricts the flow of a game with stoppages. I heard that in one game (not in our competitions) that 82 substitutions were made in a game. I wonder if any time remained to play!

Happy the Hammers are on the up
West Ham are really having a good season considering it is our first one back in the top flight. We have slipped over the last few games but still remain in a respectable mid-table position. We now need to get back to winning ways immediately to avoid a rapid drop down the table, but I am confident with Sam Allardyce at the helm he’ll move the Claret and Blue’s forward.

Enjoy the New Year and I hope to catch up in 2013.

David Wolff
Chairman
JCMaccabi (Southern) Football League