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refbooks.bsky.social
Refereeing Books & More
@refbooks.bsky.social
560 followers 750 following 2.3K posts
Promotor and collector of all things referee. My book & magazine collection: https://www.libib.com/u/benbalin
Will do research too if you ask nicely 😉
Amateur mushroom photographer
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refbooks.bsky.social
Gills day today!
Info on species in ALT text.
#fungifriends
Olive oysterling (Sarcomyxa serotina) in a bunch photographed from the bottom so the gills are showing A dehydrated fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) photographed from below showing the intricacies of its gills A powdery brittlegill (Russula parazurea) photographed from the side, showing its fine straight gill structure A brown milk-cap fungus (Lactarius), photographed from the side so the beautiful gill structure in its upturned hood is visible.
November 9, 2025 at 7:50 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Two more books added to my collection (www.libib.com/u/benbalin).

Árbitro, Cabrón! is a Spanish coming-of-age novel about a young #referee, written by a former ref.

L'Uomo Nero is an Italian exposé by former top ref Claudio Gavillucci, about the hardships of being a top ref.
Book cover of Spanish novel "Arbitro, cabrón!", a coming-of-age novel by a former top referee, showing the title and an out-of-focus photo of a referee showing a red card to brawling players. Book cover of Italian book L'uomo nero, by Claudio Gavillucci, a former top referee. The top of the cover is a photo of the author in referee kit, the bottom of the cover showing title and authors in white letters on a black background.
November 8, 2025 at 11:21 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
Today I added over 30 copies (from the 1940s and 1950s) of L'Arbitro to my collection of #referee magazines, including a number of international copies. L'Arbitro is the magazine of the Italian Referees Association, the AIA. It's been published since 1926 and runs to this day.
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Cover of magazine L'Arbitro from December 1949. Title in large blue letters across the top, with other info in small black lettering. Also in blue, the image depicts the then logo of the AIA, the Italian Referees Association. Cover of magazine L'Arbitro from January 1954. Title in large blue letters across the top, with other info in small black lettering. A drawing in black & white, the image depicts a goalkeeper trying to reach a ball. Cover of magazine L'Arbitro from October 1957. Title in large red letters across the top, with other info in small black lettering. A black & white photo, the image depicts the harbour of an Italian town. Cover of magazine L'Arbitro - International Edition - from 1958. Title in large red letters across the top, with titles of articles contained in the magazine in black letters listed in a yellow column on the right. To the left, a black & white depicts two referees, one being English referee Ken Aston, walking and talking in civilian clothes.
November 7, 2025 at 7:22 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Italian week in the Masterchef kitchen.. ehh.. in the home of RefBooks. Four books from Italy, three from former #referees and one book commemorating a century of the Italian Referees' Association #AIA. Now I just need to learn Italian...
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November 1, 2025 at 11:23 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
A few more photos from today's hike.
A Laccaria laccata, a rosy bonnet, some Mycena and a group of sulphur tufts.
#fungifriends
Laccaria laccata, all curled up ochre hood showing the gills Rosy bonnet mushroom (Mycena rosea). A deep pink hue radiating from the centre of the hood to a lighter pink rim. Around it fallen leaves. Two teeny-tiny whitish mushrooms growing from moss on a tree. Possibly Mycena. A cluster of honey-coloured sulphur tufts, a species of mushroom. Shown from the side so all stems are visible.
October 26, 2025 at 6:49 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Two photos of quite abundant Xylaria hypoxylon, a.k.a. candlestick fungus, the candlesnuff fungus, carbon antlers or the stag's horn fungus.
#fungifriends
Group of Xylaria hypoxylon fungus, a.k.a. candlestick fungus, the candlesnuff fungus, carbon antlers or the stag's horn fungus. Black stems growing out of a tree trunk with white branching tips. Group of Xylaria hypoxylon fungus, a.k.a. candlestick fungus, the candlesnuff fungus, carbon antlers or the stag's horn fungus. Black stems growing out of a tree trunk with white branching tips.
October 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Possibly a Mycena arcangeliana. Love the tiny hairs on that hood!
#fungifriends
Possibly a Mycena arcangeliana. Two mushrooms growing close to one another. On the closest hood (whitish in colour) you can see tiny hair-like protuberances.
October 26, 2025 at 6:33 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Some sort of oak gall (left) and a weird fungus (right). If anyone can name it for me, I'd be grateful.
#fungifriends
Small spherical, disc-like yellow and brown galls from a species of gall wasp on the underside of a fallen brown oak leaf. Greyish mouldy-looking type of fungus, growing in a head with buds sticking out everywhere
October 26, 2025 at 6:27 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Probably a Galerina. Loved how many fungi today looked shiny after the rains of the past week.
#fungifriends
Cluster of ochre-stemmed and hooded (with lighter rims) mushrooms growing out of a mossy tree trunk. Species possibly a Galerina.
October 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 12:33 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 11:41 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
On my wanderings I also came across this little fellow watching me as I took a photo of his residence, a cluster of mini-Mycenae
#fungifriends
Group of white mushrooms (probably Mycena) rising through brown leaves and twigs, with a little fly sitting on the hood of one mushroom
October 21, 2025 at 8:42 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
Also spotted on my walk around the green areas on the outskirts of town, this blushing rosette (Abortiporus biennia).
#fungifriends
An Abortiporus biennis fungus, looking like a white rosette with reddish features
October 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
I've seen alder brackets (Mensularia radiata) before, but never in its "infant" state, when guttation is its thing. In fact, I've never seen a guttating fungus before, so today was a first for me. Hope you like it too.
#fungifriends
A young alder bracket fungus (Mensularia radiata), with guttation, on a moss-covered tree trunk. It looks like a whitish-yellowish bun or bap with drops of clear liquid across its exterior. Those drops are the guttation. A young alder bracket fungus (Mensularia radiata), with guttation, on a moss-covered tree trunk. It looks like a whitish bun or bap with drops of clear liquid across its exterior. That's the guttation.
October 19, 2025 at 5:22 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Aww.. (former) Premier League #referees a category on today’s episode of #Pointless on BBC1
Photo of answers board on BBC game show Pointless showing six names, four of them former or current Premier League referees, being Dermot Gallagher, Rebecca Welch, Mark Clattenburg and Uriah Rennie (deceased). The remaining two names are fictional referees (Martin Rutherford) or tennis umpires (Adrian Wilson).
October 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
More photos of this colourful #referee
October 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Some shots of fungi I encountered yesterday. Descriptions and possible determination in the ALT text.
#fungifriends
An outcrop of Coprinellus micaceus (possibly), thickish white stems with golden brown, glistening hoods Two specimens of Mycena unknown rising from the moss, one tilting across the other A swarm of tiny, tiny inkcaps (Coprinellus disseminatus) around the foot of a tree Possibly a Conocybe albipes fungus. Light brown hood with darker brown along the rim
October 13, 2025 at 6:49 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Zeer interessante lezingen van @aldohouterman.bsky.social en @acevaal.bsky.social bij @knvb.bsky.social over hun onderzoek naar de Franse filosoof Serres en diens blik op de #scheidsrechter resp. de “governmentality” van sporters en hoe daarmee om te gaan als arbiter. Leverde leuke discussies op!
Scherm met begin-dia van presentatie van Aldo Houterman over “De scheidsrechter volgens filosoof Michel Serres” Astrid Cevaal legt iets uit wat te zien is op het presentatiescherm naast haar
October 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
When I was taking my photos, Sunday, I noticed another tree stump covered in them. But brambles prevented my going there. On the way I nearly stepped on a twig when I noticed colour on it. Teeny-tiny mushrooms:
October 8, 2025 at 11:17 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
Same here. It’s not wet enough yet. There’s good specimens to be found but not in great numbers yet. Except for sulphur tufts:
Tree stump covered from top to bottom in sulphur tuft mushrooms
October 8, 2025 at 7:36 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
Best was finding two hollow trunks with mushrooms inside!
#fungifriends
split hollow trunk with a cluster of sulphur cap mushrooms growing inside hollowed-out trunk with moss growing around the rim and tiny sulphur cap mushrooms growing inside the cavity
October 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Some of my finds this afternoon
#fungifriends
Close-up of three lilac mushrooms a fallen trunk in the forest with a forest of mushrooms, brownish in colour a budding fly agaric mushroom A tiny mushroom with a very bright hood, almost like a lampshade against the brownish/reddish colour of the forest floor
October 5, 2025 at 4:47 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
Braved the storm on my bike today to get some farmer's cheese. Passed this guy on the way.
#fungifriends
forest floor with leaves and twigs and a fiery red fly agaric mushroom in the centre. Lots of white dots on its hood
October 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
refbooks.bsky.social
In this week: a World War II #referees chart but French! This 1943-1944 booklet - Code de l'arbiter et Guide des Joueurs - once owned by Gilbert Geneivre (as seen on the cover) survived the war to end up in my collection. Feels very special somehow.
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Beige coloured book cover in oblong format, 10 by 15. issued by the Federation Française de Football, it's the Code de l'Arbitre et Guide des Joueurs for 1943-1944. Basically, a book about the laws of football and advice for referees and players. There's handwriting on the bottom, with the name Geneivre Gilbert, and an address.
October 4, 2025 at 10:20 AM
refbooks.bsky.social
Sorry, here’s the image.
October 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM