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#Post#: 86765--------------------------------------------------
Help me find my dad please.
By: AndyFleet1 Date: January 3, 2025, 4:01 am
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Hi, I stumbled on this site in a round about way, searching for
FA cup final info from the late 60s. I suspect if I'm gong to
find the answers to my questions anywhere it may well be here.
My dad, Lionel Wilfred Fleet passed away in Oct 2017 at the age
of 85. I know he was a football referee in the late 60's in the
Leamington Spa/Warwick area, I have a book published in 2006
about the local referees association in that area and he is
mentioned a few times, before that he was also involved in
refereeing whilst living in the Cambridge area but I don't know
to what level. His career was over by about 1973 I think due to
other work/life pressures.
Any information anyone has or can find, that involves dad I'd be
interested in, but most specifically there is a family story
that he was on TV once. Kind of. The story goes that he was
linesman at a Wembley match (I always assumed FA cup final) and
the only point during the match where he is in the footage on TV
was when his legs can be seen running across the top of the
screen. Having spent quite a lot of time on here last night I
finally found what seems to be a comprehensive list of officials
for all FA cup finals of the time, and he's not mentioned. So
maybe it wasn't the FA cup?
I do know (not that it's relevant to this search) he was good
friends with Cyril Pegg, a Cambridgeshire referee of the time,
there are a couple of other names my sister has of people that
as a family we know that she thinks were also refereeing
connections.
I'll add more info as I find it. If anyone can help with any
info whatsoever I'd very much appreciate it. Cheers Andy.
#Post#: 86839--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: John Treleven Date: January 5, 2025, 1:58 am
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The only reference found in the British Newspaper Archive is -
Scouts soccer final
Mid Warwickshire Scouts' “Pop’s Cup” League final is being
played at St. Nicholas Park, Warwick, tomorrow (kick-off 3
p.m.).
Kenilworth Priory meet the 2nd Leamington (St Peter's) and the
referee is Mr. L. Fleet.
Friday 9 May 1969
Leamington Spa Courier
Page 22
#Post#: 87029--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: Ted Best 2 Date: January 7, 2025, 4:22 am
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I have found another two references to your dad, as attached
#Post#: 87033--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: Ted Best 2 Date: January 7, 2025, 5:10 am
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Another find that shows your Dad as a linesman in a FA Cup game
from 1968.
There are various examples of the match programme currently for
sale on ebay.
#Post#: 87034--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: Acme Thunderer Date: January 7, 2025, 5:16 am
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Hi and welcome. I cannot help here as I was based in Surrey in
the 1970s and, whilst I recall a number of EFL referees from
that time, I cannot say the same about EFL linesmen, of which
your dad was one. It would be interesting to know whether he was
ever at Selhurst Park which I regularly attended in the 1960s
and 1970s. You have established that your dad was never a
linesman at the FA Cup Final, but I wonder whether he could have
been a linesman at a League Cup Final or Amateur Cup Final. JT's
mention of 'Scouts football' makes me wonder whether your dad
was involved with English Schools football. I officiated at a
number of League grounds for English Schools Cup matches and I
know the England team played an annual match at Wembley into the
1970s, including one in June 1973, England v Scotland, which was
broadcast live on ITV. I wonder whether any of these could be
the match at Wembley which you refer to in your post. Good luck
with your research.
#Post#: 87071--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: AndyFleet1 Date: January 7, 2025, 5:15 pm
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Wow, so I disappear for a few days and a whole bunch of replies
appear, what a great site, thank you so much all of you.
So, first off, to clarify a couple of details and add things I
do know, dad was 100% a referee in the Cambridge area, and then
for Leamington and District Referees Association. He is
mentioned a number of times in the book "From the Past to the
Future", a history of the L&DRA by Arnold Rouse. Some details
regarding Dad's career that this book clarifies were that he
joined L&DRA in 1966, became promoted to a Football League
Linesman in 1967, this was discussed at the AGM in May 67, so
one assumes the promotion was around that time, It was announced
that dad was to depart the L&DRA in late 69, due to a move to
Norfolk for a work position. We are not aware of him doing any
refereeing after the family moved.
#Post#: 87072--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: AndyFleet1 Date: January 7, 2025, 5:20 pm
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So based on the above dates, any Wembley appearance could only
have been 67, 68 or 69 seasons would that make sense? Sorry I'm
really not a football enthusiast so please forgive my ignorance.
I shall need to keep digging further.
#Post#: 87097--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: John Treleven Date: January 8, 2025, 11:22 am
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Lionel Wilfred FLEET
born 19 May 1932 Isleham, Cambridgeshire
son of Petch Clark Fleet (1903-1962) and Dorothy May Starling
(1914-1976)
(there were also Fleet/Starling marriages in the area in 1925,
1926 & 1964)
married Amy Jean Harvey (1933-2023) 4 January 1958 Cambridge
three sons and two daughters
died 16 October 2017 Paignton, Devon
F.L.line for five seasons 1967-68 to 1971-72
the first three whilst at 12 Ravensdale Avenue, Leamington Spa,
Warwickshire
the last two at 59 Stone Road, Toftwood, Dereham, Norfolk
He is not listed as a linesman for the F.A. Cup, F.L. Cup,
Charity Shield, F.A. Trophy, F.A. Vase, F.A. Amateur Cup or F.A.
Sunday Cup finals
#Post#: 87100--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: AndyFleet1 Date: January 8, 2025, 2:54 pm
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Yep that's him. Interesting that there's a whole bunch of
possible Wembley games that he's not listed as linesman for, I
wonder does it leave anything else that could've been televised?
I wish now I'd have discussed it with him before it was too
late. My eldest brother might have known more as well but sadly
he passed away in 2022.
#Post#: 87523--------------------------------------------------
Re: Help me find my dad please.
By: Whistleblower Date: January 20, 2025, 8:37 am
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[quote author=AndyFleet1 link=topic=6584.msg87100#msg87100
date=1736369677]
Yep that's him. Interesting that there's a whole bunch of
possible Wembley games that he's not listed as linesman for, I
wonder does it leave anything else that could've been televised?
I wish now I'd have discussed it with him before it was too
late. My eldest brother might have known more as well but sadly
he passed away in 2022.
[/quote]
I'm sure I remember some Youth/Schools matches at Wembley being
on the TV. One, which for some strange reason sticks in my mind,
was refereed by Alex Lees. So it may be that your late father
was involved with one of those. How could you go about finding
out ? On this site we have some excellent football archivists
but if they can't help then perhaps an approach to the English
FA. Whether they keep records of all Match Officials
appointments over the years is, though, a moot point.
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