Referee Retrospective
@refereeretro.bsky.social
Images and information on past referees
It's not very clear but I think it's the badge for the Association of Football League Referees and Linesmen.
December 15, 2025 at 11:43 PM
It's not very clear but I think it's the badge for the Association of Football League Referees and Linesmen.
The linesman on the left of the picture is John Callaghan of Liverpool, a FL linesman in his last season (a common English international appointment). I must stress I didn't recognise him but I think this picture had appeared some years ago with him one of the officials named.
December 15, 2025 at 4:18 PM
The linesman on the left of the picture is John Callaghan of Liverpool, a FL linesman in his last season (a common English international appointment). I must stress I didn't recognise him but I think this picture had appeared some years ago with him one of the officials named.
Kevin McNally was not just a very young referee on reaching the FL but he also became a linesman very early in 1966. This short article from 1962 when he was refereeing in county football is one of those few cases where someone very young is predicted to reach the professional game and does so.
December 8, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Kevin McNally was not just a very young referee on reaching the FL but he also became a linesman very early in 1966. This short article from 1962 when he was refereeing in county football is one of those few cases where someone very young is predicted to reach the professional game and does so.
Pat Partridge wasn't involved in controversy at that Finals (indeed he rarely was) but he did have to deal with the bizarre incident of the Peru keeper - known for his ventures upfield - fouling a Poland player in his own half!
December 7, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Pat Partridge wasn't involved in controversy at that Finals (indeed he rarely was) but he did have to deal with the bizarre incident of the Peru keeper - known for his ventures upfield - fouling a Poland player in his own half!
Kevin McNally was a newsagent outside football which was rather appropriate as few referees in the mid / late 1970s generated more headlines than he did!
December 7, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Kevin McNally was a newsagent outside football which was rather appropriate as few referees in the mid / late 1970s generated more headlines than he did!
The linesman on the left of the picture does look similar to Keith Hackett but is Ron Dix of Fareham. He's obscured here but the linesman on the right is Trelford Mills (Barnsley) who became a League ref that year and served for many years.
December 7, 2025 at 4:19 PM
The linesman on the left of the picture does look similar to Keith Hackett but is Ron Dix of Fareham. He's obscured here but the linesman on the right is Trelford Mills (Barnsley) who became a League ref that year and served for many years.
Roger Kirkpatrick was also very well-known to general football followers in the 70s and he is one of the tiny number to remain so. It's probably fair to say much of that fame was down to his distinctive appearance and personality but he was well-regarded in terms of refereeing ability as well.
November 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Roger Kirkpatrick was also very well-known to general football followers in the 70s and he is one of the tiny number to remain so. It's probably fair to say much of that fame was down to his distinctive appearance and personality but he was well-regarded in terms of refereeing ability as well.
A few Southern refs did make it to the North East for League games before the regional restrictions but they would be from the South East or East Anglia, South Wales or the South West would be a huge distance & travelling time, only really viable when full-time refs in the PL were introduced.
November 24, 2025 at 11:48 PM
A few Southern refs did make it to the North East for League games before the regional restrictions but they would be from the South East or East Anglia, South Wales or the South West would be a huge distance & travelling time, only really viable when full-time refs in the PL were introduced.
Clive Thomas was certainly one of a very small number of referees from that era who could be considered "famous". At Southern grounds he was more of a familiar face but far less seen in the North so it's very likely an appearance at SJP would be remembered even if the game passed without incident.
November 24, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Clive Thomas was certainly one of a very small number of referees from that era who could be considered "famous". At Southern grounds he was more of a familiar face but far less seen in the North so it's very likely an appearance at SJP would be remembered even if the game passed without incident.
I'm pretty sure he didn't, at least not in the League. He occasionally did matches in the North before regional restrictions took hold but in the North West or Yorkshire. The North East was too far away for League games but in the Cup - especially for later rounds - distance didn't really matter.
November 24, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I'm pretty sure he didn't, at least not in the League. He occasionally did matches in the North before regional restrictions took hold but in the North West or Yorkshire. The North East was too far away for League games but in the Cup - especially for later rounds - distance didn't really matter.
I think his Three Lions badge at that point was for running the line in a Scotland-Portugal friendly. Although the badges were given for taking part in major domestic finals they could also be for international appointments.
November 18, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I think his Three Lions badge at that point was for running the line in a Scotland-Portugal friendly. Although the badges were given for taking part in major domestic finals they could also be for international appointments.
David Richardson (Clayton-le-Dale near Blackburn) is the referee.
November 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
David Richardson (Clayton-le-Dale near Blackburn) is the referee.
In March 1980 Kevin Bond scored own goals in consecutive weeks, then scored another at the end of April!
November 17, 2025 at 4:25 PM
In March 1980 Kevin Bond scored own goals in consecutive weeks, then scored another at the end of April!
You're right that the lack of video means that all these memories remain intact, not just about supposed refereeing errors but other things that happened in games. A goal that's remembered as "amazing" may have been nothing special. Maybe people need to cling on to these illusions (or delusions).
November 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
You're right that the lack of video means that all these memories remain intact, not just about supposed refereeing errors but other things that happened in games. A goal that's remembered as "amazing" may have been nothing special. Maybe people need to cling on to these illusions (or delusions).
I think every club has at least one referee who they see as notorious, usually just on the basis of one match, not a series of games. Good performances are forgotten, bad ones (real or imagined) can stick in the mind permanently.
November 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
I think every club has at least one referee who they see as notorious, usually just on the basis of one match, not a series of games. Good performances are forgotten, bad ones (real or imagined) can stick in the mind permanently.
To add to that mix Gordon Kew was born in South Shields but raised in Scotland. He moved to Leeds as that was the home city of his wife (who was the daughter of a Football League referee). Clearly he was very used to moving around!
November 12, 2025 at 12:07 AM
To add to that mix Gordon Kew was born in South Shields but raised in Scotland. He moved to Leeds as that was the home city of his wife (who was the daughter of a Football League referee). Clearly he was very used to moving around!
David Hutchinson was based in Witney in Oxfordshire at that time but started his League line career in Cambridge, his home city. As a League ref he was based in Bourn (Cambridgeshire), Harrogate and then Marcham near Abingdon, a contender for the most travelled FL official!
November 11, 2025 at 4:26 PM
David Hutchinson was based in Witney in Oxfordshire at that time but started his League line career in Cambridge, his home city. As a League ref he was based in Bourn (Cambridgeshire), Harrogate and then Marcham near Abingdon, a contender for the most travelled FL official!
Play ended just after this incident and we had the bizarre spectacle of one of the Birmingham players leaving the pitch with the ball stuffed under his shirt! Not sure what the reasoning for that was but it brought a smile to the face!
November 7, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Play ended just after this incident and we had the bizarre spectacle of one of the Birmingham players leaving the pitch with the ball stuffed under his shirt! Not sure what the reasoning for that was but it brought a smile to the face!
Referee is Englishman Reg Leafe (Nottingham). One of his distinctive features seen here was having a band of black above the white turnovers on his socks. Some later English refs such as Gordon Hill echoed this style.
November 1, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Referee is Englishman Reg Leafe (Nottingham). One of his distinctive features seen here was having a band of black above the white turnovers on his socks. Some later English refs such as Gordon Hill echoed this style.
The referee is Piet Roomer of the Netherlands. Stanley Matthews was 48 at the time of this game and continued to play for another couple of years.
October 28, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The referee is Piet Roomer of the Netherlands. Stanley Matthews was 48 at the time of this game and continued to play for another couple of years.
Bobby Davidson did indeed retire in 1976.
October 19, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Bobby Davidson did indeed retire in 1976.