Fan steps in after referee injured at Bluebirds game
BBCWhen Dale Randall went to see Cardiff City play Coventry in the Championship, little did he know he would end up officiating the game.
The 32-year-old part-time referee was watching in the stands when a plea went out for a fourth official after the referee left the pitch because of injury.
Despite being more used to the second tier of domestic football, Mr Randall stood up for the biggest game of his life.
He was supposed to be refereeing Goytre United and Llantwit Major in the JD Cymru South league, but the match was cancelled because of a waterlogged pitch.
It was, Mr Randall said, "a bit nuts".
"It was surreal, 19,000 supporters watching you," he said.
"I've never officiated in front of that sort of crowd."
James Durkin, had started the game as fourth official but had to replace injured ref Geoff Eltringham in the first half.
Mr Randall, from Tonyrefail, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, then took over Mr Eltringham's original role at the start of the second half.
He had a crash course in using the subs board before he was handed an earpiece and set to work.
Mr Randall said: "Geoff Eltringham was limping around. One of the Cardiff City coaching staff told me to put the board up for added time because he couldn't walk.
"At half-time they're giving me the communication kit and a quick tutorial on what they want from me. It was nuts really. I don't think I knew the referee's name until I heard it through my earpiece."
He added that he had a Football Association of Wales jacket on so had to change into something else.
Leon CoxIt was not all smooth sailing.
"I probably got the substitutes board wrong once," said Mr Randall.
"The ins and the outs were the wrong way round."
The reaction has been "mad".
"I've had 400 texts from the refereeing fraternity, friends and family saying 'well done'," he said.
He added that getting to see behind the curtain of a high level match was a "unique experience".
"I'll back to normal next week officiating at Tredegar Town. A slightly different world," he said.
After the game, which ended with a 1-1 score, neither manager spoke with Mr Randall but he was invited to the referee's room for a debrief before returning to his wife.
"There was a debrief and then I had to go and find my wife who I had abandoned in the first half.
"'You didn't even say goodbye' - that's how she greeted me."
It's not the first time a fan has got in on the action on the pitch rather than watching from the stands.
On 17 January 2024, Wolves fan Ross Bennett got a surprise call-up as match official after an assistant suffered an injury during the game.
On 19 August 2023, a Portsmouth fan ended up running the line after two assistant referees were injured at Fratton Park.
On 24 November 2018, a Millwall fan was the fourth official for the Millwall vs Bolton Wanderers match after referee Tony Harrington pulled out because of illness, meaning assistant Lee Swabey stepped in.
On 9 November 2016, a Newport fan prevented EFL Trophy abandonment by filling in as fourth official when the side played Wimbledon.
And on 19 October 2015, a Newport fan replaced the fourth official during the match against Portsmouth after James Adcock was injured in the first half.