I kept mixing up Woodrow, Bahre and Hedges. It was my first match this year and I probably need glasses though.
Aren't the stats the ball is in play somewhere around 60/70 mins in most games? As you say would take a fair old length of time. The adding on of stoppage time does seem random though.
Wycombe clearly have worked on this ‘art’ as they are known for the amount of added on time in each game. If it was in the Premier league the referees or league would have looked at it by now and either confirmed what they were doing was correct or directed the referees to act accordingly. Would be interesting to know how many points/goals they have gained in the last 10 minutes of a game to see if it works for them.
Because I'm a sad old person with nothing better to do, I use a stopwatch at games to try to get a real time view of how long is left. In the second half on Saturday I was within 10 seconds when the final whistle went. As far as I'm concerned the ref was spot on.
When do you stop it? Every time the ball goes out of play, just when the ref has blown up for a free kick etc, or when there's an injury or substitution?
Injury, substitution, goal celebration, card, sending off. Sometimes the ref indicates to a timewasting player (usually the keeper) that he's adding on time, so I do too. Ball going out of play doesn't count, unless it goes out of the ground and a new ball is needed, or if the crowd keep it.
That actually sounds like a great way of livening up a dull game! Not sure I'd fancy doing it during a proper humdinger of a match though.
I've done it for many years, so I've gradually come to know what constitutes a break in play and what doesn't. The lads around me (Ponty) are always asking "ar long left?". On Saturday they didn't believe me. They did after the final whistle though! The ref got it spot on.
I think the ref would have played on if one of our players hadn't kicked the ball into touch in frustration at the end.