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#Post#: 15214--------------------------------------------------
Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: dlrbrts
Date: January 29, 2020, 7:33 am
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I've tried (in vain) to search for a list of past English
Football League referees who have changed their home town, while
still actively refereeing.
It does seem to be mentioned, briefly, in a number of threads on
this forum, and so I am aware of a few that fit this criteria,
but I haven't been able to find a single list.
With the vast majority of referees staying in the same home town
for the entire course of their career, I wouldn't expect it to
be a very long list, but does anyone have details of those
referees who represented more than one town?
Thanks in advance.
#Post#: 15217--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: Acme Thunderer
Date: January 29, 2020, 8:14 am
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--- Quote from: dlrbrts link ---
>
> I've tried (in vain) to search for a list of past English
Football League referees who have changed their home town, while
still actively refereeing.
>
> It does seem to be mentioned, briefly, in a number of threads
on this forum, and so I am aware of a few that fit this
criteria, but I haven't been able to find a single list.
>
> With the vast majority of referees staying in the same home
town for the entire course of their career, I wouldn't expect it
to be a very long list, but does anyone have details of those
referees who represented more than one town?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
--- End Quote ---
Upton's is your 'Bible' on this. A surprising number of refs
over the years since 1946 have represented two towns. A few have
represented four towns:
1946-79 - Davey, McNally and Woan
1980 - 2004 - Barber, Borrett, Hutchinson, Moules.
Harold Davey is the only one with a '5' by his name but he
actually moved back at one stage to Mansfield, whence he started
his FL career. P Harrison is also shown in Upton's as
representing four towns but since these were Heywood - Oldham -
Heywood - Oldham, I have left him out.
Unsurprisingly the list prior to WW2 is smaller although J V
Pennington managed to locate in Bury, Buxton, Blackburn and
Reading in 6 seasons on the list ending in 1929.
Not sure on the current PL and FL refs although I think Keith
Stroud moved locations not so long ago.
If I have some spare time, I'll see what I can do and maybe
there is one of our regular RTR ISOR contributors who could
produce a list. Otherwise Upton's FL and PL Referees 1888 to
2005 (? now updated?) is what you want. Good luck!
Edit - an afterthought, you may need to be careful as a few refs
are shown under one location but actually moved to a new
location whilst retaining their old location as their base. This
was because the alternative was to resign from the list as there
were no vacancies in the new home location. A good example of
this was Roy Capey who moved to Old Coulsdon (Croydon) in 1975
but retained his Madeley Heath, Crewe address for his final two
years on the list.
#Post#: 15228--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: Boris10
Date: January 29, 2020, 1:21 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
dirbrts-what a great post!I have always been interested in
locations of officials.AT is right to mention Upton,but there
are three other possible sources,if you can get hold of
them!!!!!
Every season when I began watching football,at the start of a
season,The Football League published its Handbook.Every first
class referee and linesman was listed with their FULL POSTAL
ADDRESS-sadly doesn't happen today.You could compare locations
from one year to the next.Also,every month the Appointments
Handbook was published.Any changes of address were listed in
these.When telephone numbers changed on a wide scale,the list
could be big.Sadly,I got rid of mine a long time ago and whether
any exist today is debatable.Similarly,any cup competitions were
run by the FA and appointments for these also went out[very
similar to the brilliant job aaa does ],but with full addresses
also.
Some famous egs-how about change of country?Ron Bridges began as
a linesman from the Shotton/Hawarden area,close to the Welsh
border.He later moved across the border and became an
International referee.A more famous eg could be WJ Gow.Linesman
F.Phipps,referred to not too long ago,started from Upton,near
Chester,but finished in a village near Wrexham.Gordon Kew was
another to move a sizeable distance.There are many others.Did
referees become better in their new location?A very well known
eg was a move across Southern England[so I never saw this
referee].He had three initials.They were ACF.....
#Post#: 15237--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: January 29, 2020, 5:28 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Boris10 link ---
>
> dirbrts-what a great post!I have always been interested in
locations of officials.AT is right to mention Upton,but there
are three other possible sources,if you can get hold of
them!!!!!
> Every season when I began watching football,at the start of a
season,The Football League published its Handbook.Every first
class referee and linesman was listed with their FULL POSTAL
ADDRESS-sadly doesn't happen today.You could compare locations
from one year to the next.Also,every month the Appointments
Handbook was published.Any changes of address were listed in
these.When telephone numbers changed on a wide scale,the list
could be big.Sadly,I got rid of mine a long time ago and whether
any exist today is debatable.Similarly,any cup competitions were
run by the FA and appointments for these also went out[very
similar to the brilliant job aaa does ],but with full addresses
also.
> Some famous egs-how about change of country?Ron Bridges began
as a linesman from the Shotton/Hawarden area,close to the Welsh
border.He later moved across the border and became an
International referee.A more famous eg could be WJ Gow.Linesman
F.Phipps,referred to not too long ago,started from Upton,near
Chester,but finished in a village near Wrexham.Gordon Kew was
another to move a sizeable distance.There are many others.Did
referees become better in their new location?A very well known
eg was a move across Southern England[so I never saw this
referee].He had three initials.They were ACF.....
>
--- End Quote ---
The initials A C F can only send shivers down the spine of those
of us old enough to have seen, at first hand, Topsy in his pomp.
#Post#: 15239--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: mauricelapin
Date: January 30, 2020, 2:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Yes, I recall seeing "Topsy", although don't recall that he
created as many shivers down my spine as some others of the same
period.
As regards re-locations, Mark Halsey (Hemel Hempstead - Bolton)
and Rob Harris (Oxford - IoW) are a couple of other
highish-profile ones that come to mind.
#Post#: 15242--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: Boris10
Date: January 30, 2020, 5:37 am
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MG Peck-Doncaster-Kendal
#Post#: 15244--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: reflector
Date: January 30, 2020, 5:52 am
---------------------------------------------------------
As I recall Gordon Kew moved from Amersham (Bucks), to Leeds and
then Middlesbrough (but not necessarily in that order I
believe). I remember him best as referee of the 1977 League Cup
Final between Aston Villa and Everton which went to two replays,
the ties being played at Wembley, Hillsborough and Old Trafford
with Gordon in charge of all of them.
Kevin McNally was another nomad who roamed between Ellesmere
Port, Hooton, The Wirrall and Mold. Those who remember him will
realise that he really was the card shark from the Wirrall,
today's referee with that description not even holding a candle
to him. It was said that he moved into Wales to get an easier
passage on to the FIFA list although I don't think he ever made
it there either. A criminal conviction ended his career early.
He was also one of the rare breed of refs who was said to drive
to games in his Rolls Royce, the only other I believe being
Ricky Nicholson.
#Post#: 15246--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: Acme Thunderer
Date: January 30, 2020, 7:51 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: reflector link ---
>
> As I recall Gordon Kew moved from Amersham (Bucks), to Leeds
and then Middlesbrough (but not necessarily in that order I
believe). I remember him best as referee of the 1977 League Cup
Final between Aston Villa and Everton which went to two replays,
the ties being played at Wembley, Hillsborough and Old Trafford
with Gordon in charge of all of them.
>
> Kevin McNally was another nomad who roamed between Ellesmere
Port, Hooton, The Wirrall and Mold. Those who remember him will
realise that he really was the card shark from the Wirrall,
today's referee with that description not even holding a candle
to him. It was said that he moved into Wales to get an easier
passage on to the FIFA list although I don't think he ever made
it there either. A criminal conviction ended his career early.
He was also one of the rare breed of refs who was said to drive
to games in his Rolls Royce, the only other I believe being
Ricky Nicholson.
>
--- End Quote ---
Leeds - Amersham - Middlesbrough. Gordon was an insurance agent
I believe so the moves around the country were perhaps not
surprising.
I am trying to visualise Steeple Aston and Swaffham Prior,
second locations for two refs in the 1960s. I can almost smell
the roses growing outside the front doors. A location too for
Midsomer Murders...? ;D
#Post#: 15250--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: reflector
Date: January 30, 2020, 10:46 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Oh Dear! This has got me going now.
Others who come to mind are John Deakin (a move from Bedford to
Llantwit Major no doubt brought about by a change of posting to
nearby RAF St Athan for this RAF officer), Cliff Maskell
(Droitwich Spa to Cambridge), Mick Fletcher (Warley, West
Midlands to Wolverley, Worcs), Jim Borrett (I believe 3 or 4
locations in Suffolk and Norfolk), Tommy Dawes (Norwich to Bury
St Edmunds), Harry New (Portsmouth to Westbury on Trym, nr
Bristol), Trevor Spencer (Wootton Bassett to Salisbury), Ray
Toseland (Kettering to Market Harborough), Clive Thomas
(Treorchy to Porthcawl), Arthur Hart (London to Borough Green).
There are a few others on the tip of my tongue but my Upton's
has been 'tidied up' so I am relying on memory here.
#Post#: 15251--------------------------------------------------
Re: Multi-Location Referees (movers)
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: January 30, 2020, 11:17 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: mauricelapin link ---
>
> Yes, I recall seeing "Topsy", although don't recall that he
created as many shivers down my spine as some others of the same
period.
>
> As regards re-locations, Mark Halsey (Hemel Hempstead -
Bolton) and Rob Harris (Oxford - IoW) are a couple of other
highish-profile ones that come to mind.
>
--- End Quote ---
I wonder who did cause you the shivers mauricelapin ?
Mark Halsey, when in Hertfordshire lived in Welwyn Garden City,
a somewhat different prospect than Hemel Hempstead despite both
places having their virtues.
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