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#Post#: 26681--------------------------------------------------
Re: Role Models
DIR By: TVOS
Date: February 9, 2021, 3:41 pm
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--- Quote from: BabyRef link ---
>
> This thread has got me thinking about a refereeing role model
who I had the privilege of spending time with - George Courtney.
>
> I haven't refereed now for several years but when I was young
and keen I had the honour of being appointed to be his assistant
referee for a schools semi-final. I was 16 and even then he was
in his early 70s - I was absolutely blown away by his
enthusiasm, his fitness (even at that age) and the rapport he
had with everyone. When we were getting ready before the game, I
asked him who the best player he'd ever refereed was. His reply:
'Either Pele or Maradona'. I remember thinking bloody hell!
>
> Anyway, he ended up being a kind of mentor, and I would go on
to run the line to him several times a season, along with being
his guest at some of his assessing appointments. His view was
that refereeing was all about personal relationships and he had
such a love for people, and a curiosity about everyone he met.
>
> When joining him for his assessments, I vividly remember how,
from the catering staff to the cleaners, George would take time
to chat to everyone and it'd often be long past 8pm by the time
he left the ground! The way in which he was so kind and caring
and treated everyone with total respect stuck with me, even
after I stopped refereeing.
>
> Many times when running the line to him the game would kick
off late as he would be nattering with parents on the side - one
time he summoned over a player after a terrible challenge. I
assumed that George was giving him a total rollocking and then
two minutes later as the player walked away I heard George say
'Anyway, send my regards to your father!'. But I never saw any
of his games get out of control, and his man management was
still the best I've seen from any referee anywhere - he had a
wonderful skill of shutting someone up with what he called his
'magisterial glare'!
>
> When I was a student at Durham, we would often meet at Durham
Cathedral for a piece of cake and a coffee. At a time when I
could barely get out of bed in time for lectures, he would walk
12 miles from his home in Spennymoor and arrive raring with
energy and full of excitement about games he'd refereed. He was
just so excited to still be refereeing.
>
> We've somewhat fallen out of touch these days but I believe he
is still regularly refereeing even at the age of 79 - I read a
story recently that a Northern League assistant went down with
an injury and up stepped George, probably the most experienced
Level 7 in history!
>
> He is a truly remarkable man - one of the kindest and most
generous souls I have ever met (and still a bloody good referee)
and I feel very lucky to have met him.
>
--- End Quote ---
Excellent story; I have a couple of my own.
When I was a student at Leeds Uni back in the late-1980s, I made
a lot of friends from the North-East; one of them from
Spennymoor.
"Do you know George Courtney?" I asked.
She didn't!
In April 1990, George was preparing for the World Cup by getting
some practice running the line at lower league games. One of
them was Rochdale v Gillingham, which came two days after he had
presided over that fantastic Liverpool v Palace FA Cup
semi-final.
I've no recollection how I knew he was running the line, but I
got to the ground early and waited by the entrance to have a
chat. I wanted to know how he combined his teaching career with
refereeing and although he was in pre-match mode, George took 10
minutes out of his time to talk me through the challenges he
faced combining the two roles.
Just for interest, the other linesman that night was Ray
Shepherd, referee was George Tyson and Dale won 1-0 in front of
1,334 fans thanks to a goal from another Durham lad, Peter Ward!
#Post#: 26683--------------------------------------------------
Re: Role Models
DIR By: BabyRef
Date: February 9, 2021, 4:00 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: TVOS link ---
>
> [quote author=BabyRef link=topic=2144.msg26670#msg26670
date=1612892275]
> This thread has got me thinking about a refereeing role model
who I had the privilege of spending time with - George Courtney.
>
> I haven't refereed now for several years but when I was young
and keen I had the honour of being appointed to be his assistant
referee for a schools semi-final. I was 16 and even then he was
in his early 70s - I was absolutely blown away by his
enthusiasm, his fitness (even at that age) and the rapport he
had with everyone. When we were getting ready before the game, I
asked him who the best player he'd ever refereed was. His reply:
'Either Pele or Maradona'. I remember thinking bloody hell!
>
> Anyway, he ended up being a kind of mentor, and I would go on
to run the line to him several times a season, along with being
his guest at some of his assessing appointments. His view was
that refereeing was all about personal relationships and he had
such a love for people, and a curiosity about everyone he met.
>
> When joining him for his assessments, I vividly remember how,
from the catering staff to the cleaners, George would take time
to chat to everyone and it'd often be long past 8pm by the time
he left the ground! The way in which he was so kind and caring
and treated everyone with total respect stuck with me, even
after I stopped refereeing.
>
> Many times when running the line to him the game would kick
off late as he would be nattering with parents on the side - one
time he summoned over a player after a terrible challenge. I
assumed that George was giving him a total rollocking and then
two minutes later as the player walked away I heard George say
'Anyway, send my regards to your father!'. But I never saw any
of his games get out of control, and his man management was
still the best I've seen from any referee anywhere - he had a
wonderful skill of shutting someone up with what he called his
'magisterial glare'!
>
> When I was a student at Durham, we would often meet at Durham
Cathedral for a piece of cake and a coffee. At a time when I
could barely get out of bed in time for lectures, he would walk
12 miles from his home in Spennymoor and arrive raring with
energy and full of excitement about games he'd refereed. He was
just so excited to still be refereeing.
>
> We've somewhat fallen out of touch these days but I believe he
is still regularly refereeing even at the age of 79 - I read a
story recently that a Northern League assistant went down with
an injury and up stepped George, probably the most experienced
Level 7 in history!
>
> He is a truly remarkable man - one of the kindest and most
generous souls I have ever met (and still a bloody good referee)
and I feel very lucky to have met him.
>
--- End Quote ---
Excellent story; I have a couple of my own.
When I was a student at Leeds Uni back in the late-1980s, I made
a lot of friends from the North-East; one of them from
Spennymoor.
"Do you know George Courtney?" I asked.
She didn't!
In April 1990, George was preparing for the World Cup by getting
some practice running the line at lower league games. One of
them was Rochdale v Gillingham, which came two days after he had
presided over that fantastic Liverpool v Palace FA Cup
semi-final.
I've no recollection how I knew he was running the line, but I
got to the ground early and waited by the entrance to have a
chat. I wanted to know how he combined his teaching career with
refereeing and although he was in pre-match mode, George took 10
minutes out of his time to talk me through the challenges he
faced combining the two roles.
Just for interest, the other linesman that night was Ray
Shepherd, referee was George Tyson and Dale won 1-0 in front of
1,334 fans thanks to a goal from another Durham lad, Peter Ward!
[/quote]
Amazing- nearly every game I did with George I'd have to tear
him away before or after the match because he was in the middle
of an intense chat with spectators/the kitman/the tea lady -
even if it was an U13 schools game. He really is one of a kind.
I liked this excerpt from the interview I posted earlier - seems
the polar opposite to some of the stories you see on here:
He emphasises the importance of engaging others, particularly
his fellow officials.
“I always found, when I went to the games, that if I treated
people properly, they treated me in return properly.
“I always made a little note of [the linesmen’s] names, because
they were strangers in a sense. If I was refereeing, say, at
Liverpool, I might get a guy from Wolverhampton who I’d never
met, I might get a guy from Lincoln I’d never met. I always made
a note of their names and when the next bulletin of appointments
came through and they were with me, I’d do my homework, and then
when I greeted them… they would die for you.”
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