The final whistle blows

A prolonged blast from the referee's shrill whistle accompanies the ball sailing into the corner of the net and for a moment, you think victory has been snatched at the very last second. Then, the girl who took the shot collapses with her head in her hands and you realize (along with quite a few of the spectators who were similarly fooled) that the strident sound signalled the end of the match, rather than a goal.

Julia turns and hugs you impulsively, then just as quickly lets go, embarrassed by the effusiveness of her reaction. The score might be a draw, but from the response of the crowd, it might as well have been a home win. So close did the underdogs come to defeat, that merely holding off the onslaught seems like a triumph. It must feel like that on the pitch, too, judging by the demeanours of the two sides when they shake hands and return to the showers. Cheerleaders come back on for a final performance while the spectators start to file out, but your little knot of companions is in no hurry to leave, content to watch the girls leaping about down below and wait for the initial rush to subside. Julia is chatting with her friends about what this means for the university's prospects within the league and gradually the noise from the stands dissipates and becomes more muffled.

When the cheerleaders finish and head off, it seems as good a time as any to make a move yourselves and without any need for discussion, you all rise together and walk over to the steps down. Julia stays by your side and the two of you take the opportunity to discuss the conduct of the players, which you agree was exemplary from the perspective of the way it reflects on the college's reputation. You gather from what she says that in the event of a draw, both sides end up publicly pilloried for the fans to express their displeasure, which is something you wouldn't mind seeing.

The exit is still crowded, with many people waiting to visit the pillories before they go. You might have foregone that amusement, but Julia leads you straight over and once again, your credentials as staff see you ushered through preferentially. The pillories form a forest of restraints, divided strictly between home and away, with stewards enforcing the separation. Players are there so that their supporters can show their disapproval of their team's failings, not to allow their rivals to get their own back.

The girls have showered and changed out of their kit before being strapped fully nude into the plastic and metal frames, bent at the waist, with their ankles also locked into place. Across the divide, you can see the away side being firmly chastised by men and women of all ages, although etiquette demands that each only stops briefly before making way for the next. You walk past the college girls, noticing that whilst each pillory is equipped with a cleave gag and a nose hook for keeping the occupant's head up, none of them are being used, the students' self discipline keeping them in position just as securely as more stringent restraints would.