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Author Topic: Godfrey T. Powell of Newport, Monmouthshire  (Read 269 times)

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John Treleven

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Godfrey T. Powell of Newport, Monmouthshire
« on: Sat 24 Oct 2020 08:31 »
Another elusive first name with false trails of George (Daily Mirror 25.01.1965) and Geoff (Clive Thomas autobiography 1984) neither of which fitted with births/marriages/deaths etc. until a short biography was found in the Hibernian programme (12.12.1962) to confirm it was Godfrey. An engineering draughtsman, aged 38, with two sons, officiating with two Welsh linesmen - Robert G. Thomas-Evelyn (Rhyl) and Philip H. Williams (Wrexham).

I have yet to find his marriage or what the T stands for. If he is still with us he is now 96.

Born Q2 1924 Newport
Secretary Monmouth R.A. 1953-54
Referee Football Combination 1953-54
Linesman Football League 1953-54 (for a record equalling 11 seasons)
Linesman England v Northern Ireland at Wembley 1955-56
Referee Wales v Ireland Youth at Cardiff 1958-59
Referee Hibernian (SCO) v Utrecht (NED) ICFC 1962-63
Referee Football League 1964-65
Bournemouth v Watford 1964-65
Gillingham v Brentford 1964-65
Wrexham v Bradford City 1965-66
Aston Villa v Everton 1965-66
Aarhus (DEN) v Vitoria Setubal (POR) ECWC 1965-66
Chester v Wrexham (Welsh Cup) 1965-66
Chester v Bradford City 1965-66
Chester v Swansea (Welsh Cup Final) 1965-66
Wrexham v Crewe 1965-66
Not on list of updated F.L. officials 08.07.1966
(effectively replaced by Clive Thomas as appointments were regional)
Sent back to referee in the parks of Newport (Clive Thomas autobiography)





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Ted Best 2

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It is interesting that you raise this one John. For many years I had the forename as Geoffrey, which was taken from a letter received from the FAW via a statistician friend - copy attached.

I believe it is probably from this source that many of the more general websites on the internet record the name as  Geoffrey / Geoff
https://worldreferee.com/referee/geoffrey_powell/
https://www.worldfootball.net/referee_summary/geoff-powell/

I have found one source that does record the name as Godfrey
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjSnYbEqs3sAhUMfMAKHSwkBjE4FBAWMAB6BAgDEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbaudoscampeoes.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F04%2Fcopa-do-mundo-de-1962-no-chile.html&usg=AOvVaw0RwaN6BaC6fQiWO05WoRKC

Do a Ctrl + F, and search 'powell' and it records him running the line for the WCF62 qualifier - England v Luxembourg

I did find a reference to the death of a Godfrey Thomas Powell but given his age I don't think it is our man. I did find interesting that he appears to have been known as Geoff even though his name was Godfrey.  I am not aware that Geoff can be derived from Godfrey?
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dunstabletoday-uk/obituary.aspx?n=godfrey-powell&pid=196384078&fhid=13352



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John Treleven

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Fascinating, that Champions Chest looks interesting but I could not manage to navigate it

I would think that the Luton death earlier this year is him, although the age is 6 or 7 years out

Quite how Godfrey became Geoff must be a one off, it is not standard, but must have stuck

« Last Edit: Sat 24 Oct 2020 16:30 by John Treleven »

John Treleven

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Others 45-46 to 68-69 with not the most obvious nicknames

Cussons - Laurence "Lol"
Griffiths - Mervyn "Sandy"
Kerkhof - Martinus "Mike"
Lyden - Dennis "Denny" & "Danny"
Murdoch - Alexander "Alex" & "Alec"
Nattrass - Henderson "Harry"
Porter - Cyril "Lofty"
Rogers - William "Ginger" (of that era!)
Smith - Robert "Bob" & "Reg"
Wiltshire - John "Jim"(the nearest similarity to Powell's)
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Ted Best 2

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I've been doing yet more digging and have found another story which ties in with the gentleman who passed away on 11th June 2020 in Luton. The story seems validate his age of 89 given on the earlier death notifiication. He died six weeks before his 90th birthday, which would place his date of birth as late July 1930.

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/people/burnley-womans-90-mile-dementia-charity-challenge-memory-grandad-2912693

On Find My Past there are two birth records for Godfrey T. Powell (copy attached) - one born in 1924 in Newport, which ties in with his home town and age of 38 in 1962 given in the Hibs v Utrecht programme.  The other Godfrey T. Powell was born 1930 (3rd quarter), Wem, Shropshire, which is more likely to tie in with the gentleman who died in Luton.

I don't think the Luton gentleman is 'our' Godfrey T Powell.

The only thing I can't fully explain is the 'Geoff' part. It might be best just to record him as Godfrey T. Powell (possibly known as "Geoff").

Please let me know what you think.

I have also attached a copy from the website of the match Godfrey ran the line on in 1961.




John Treleven

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Agreed it is not "our" man

Godfrey "Geoff" occurs here too -

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80019443

and here -

https://calgaryherald.remembering.ca/obituary/godfrey-geoff-thomas-1079615078

They all seem to have Welsh connections and also have Thomas amongst their names

Ted Best 2

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They say you learn something new every day.  I didn't know but Geoff is a shortened / diminutive of Godfrey.

https://www.behindthename.com/name/godfrey/related

So, in summary we can refer to him as Godfrey Powell or Geoff Powell but not Geoffrey Powell.




bmb

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I have had an email exchange with someone who knew Mr Powell very well. He wishes to remain anonymous but has said I can pass on the following for your info:

I  have been interested in the discussion on Godfrey Powell, who I knew very well. I never knew anyone refer to him as Geoff, he was always known as Goff (spelling?). A delightful person, he was a JP in Newport and WM of Albert Edward Masonic Lodge, in 1974, also in Newport, I lost touch with Goff when we returned to our native Lancashire. He was a good servant to the Monmouthshire referees, and I believe he served in every office as well as giving unstinting support to young referees.

It would therefore appear he was known as Goff as opposed to Geoff.  I expect somewhere someone wrote it as Geoff, thinking Goff was a misspelling & that carried on through.
Hajrá Lilák. Csak a Kispest. Hajrá Magyarok! Hajrá játékvezetői csapat! Soha ne add fel. Nincs sárga kérem!!! No Chris Kavanagh doesn't live in Ashton or even in the Greater Manchester area!!
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John Treleven

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It seems to have a particularly Welsh theme too and a link with the family name Thomas

There are 98 Godfrey Thomas births 1837-1968 and 54 of them are Welsh

Perhaps explained by Thomas being a Welsh family name but it is the Welsh Godfrey's that become Geoff's (or Goff's)

The History of Leatherhead Town F.C. was written by Godfrey David "Goff" Powell (1939-2018)
He was born in Ashtead, Surrey but was the son of a South Wales miner

There was also a "Goff" Powell Rugby Union referee in the 20s & 30s from Abertillery
« Last Edit: Mon 26 Oct 2020 09:08 by John Treleven »

bmb

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A bit of additional info for you from my anonymous friend, who reads this section but is not a registered user.

I googled Monmouthshire referees and on their excellent website there is listed in the menu ‘Monmouthshire RA History’. I clicked on that and was able to download a 30 minute talk given in 2004 by Gordon Harrhy. Goff Powell is mentioned a few times. You might like to make John Treleven aware of the site.

Gordon was Goff’s successor as secretary and was in that positIon when I, and my young family, moved to Newport as a newly promoted class 1 (class A in Wales) in the summer of 1967. Both helped me find my refereeing feet there and provided the right contacts to progress.

Hajrá Lilák. Csak a Kispest. Hajrá Magyarok! Hajrá játékvezetői csapat! Soha ne add fel. Nincs sárga kérem!!! No Chris Kavanagh doesn't live in Ashton or even in the Greater Manchester area!!
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John Treleven

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Thank you, I will take a look

A long shot but did your friend ever hear of another Newport referee - D.J. Davies (F.L. 1928-33)

Being Welsh David must be a front runner for the first name!

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