An assistant referee encountered the incident of a lifetime during a torrential downpour match at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. In the game, Stockport County takes on Wigan Athletic, for the coveted Vertu Trophy. Both fierce competition and a constant heavy rain made the venue a difficult place to navigate.
At approximately 14:45, as the match progressed, the assistant referee found himself contending with a leaky roof that compromised his ability to officiate effectively. A constant rain washed over the field as the game went on. It worked its way through the overhangs, making for a visually noisy and unwelcome setting for the officials in the field.
Edgeley Park, right across the ocean in the UK, too, has always been a stage for unforgettable football spectacles. This year’s game will be memorable beyond any ordinary celebration, thanks to the harsh weather expected. Players and officials alike traversed the challenging, rain-slicked pitch with impressive agility. At the same time, attendees sheltered under umbrellas, excitedly looking for a window to get out of the weather. In reality, it was the assistant referee who suffered the most weather-related bad luck.
The Vertu Trophy match was an exhibition in each team’s will to make sure their team walked away with the win despite difficult conditions. Even though the weather didn’t cooperate, Stockport and Wigan put on a fun, high-energy show that had fans on their feet. The assistant referee’s continuing struggle against the leaking roof threw a very weird monkey wrench into the day’s happenings.
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Photographer Dave Philbin documented the game and the unusual conditions encountered by assistant referee Becky Crouch. Follow him on social media at @dave_philbin to see what else he’s up. He takes supporters inside this peculiar match day at Edgeley Park in spectacular fashion.
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