A topic often alluded too in earlier days but little could be proven
However the Liverpool Echo Sat 1st Aug 1925 and Sheffield Telegraph Mon 3rd Aug 1925
report that three "full" referees had been struck off due to age "discrepancies"
and add that two supplementaries had resigned although not stating their reasons
Interestingly Athletic News which normally reported the referee lists in full
seemingly has no mention of this in its Mon 3rd Aug issue although it does
report that one of the three had been reinstated in its Mon 10th Aug issue
The three full referees were
William Day of Derby (born Q4 1879) so was 46
Harry Mason of Birmingham (born Q3 1879) also 46
Edwin Small of Bristol (born Q3 1882) aged 43
Small was reprieved and continued on the full list until 1930-31
So was the age limit at that time (1925) 45 and later revised to 50?
The supplementaries were
Robert Lethaby of Bristol (born Q2 1877) so was 48
Samuel H.G. Cooper of Wanstead, East London (born Q2 1880) aged 45
This was to have been Cooper's first season as a referee after being
on the line list for four seasons so he does not appear in Upton