Sixteen of the 24 first class referees were in action in the midweek cup ties, and judging from their performances they looked after number one first. Any game which features a first division side must be refereed by one of the top level, and they made pretty sure that all eight of the third round ties contained at least one team from the top flight. Megia Dávila for example helped Osasuna come from a goal down to beat Cádiz 1-2 in the dying minutes, with a late penalty and a sending off of local forward Pavoni, and Moreno Delgado left Lanzarote with nine men just as they were fighting back against Sevilla.

By the way, if you are wondering why last year's white stick winner Iturralde González hasn't featured recently in our pages, it's because his success last season has been rewarded with his appointment as one of the referees at the recent youth World Cup, and he apparently could have officiated in the final if Spain had not been in it. Influential award, the white stick prize is!

The extra round of matches midweek, means that our table has changed substantially, with three new names entering the chart. González Vázquez has raced up to second place from nowhere, proving again that once let out of his cage he can keep up with the best of them. He managed to produce an aggregate 22 yellow cards and two reds over the two games, which could be something of a record. (23.12.03)