RateTheRef

Stewart Mackenzie - A high flyer

In the search for inter war officials first names this one, like about sixty others, proved elusive.

Not least because it turns out that he was not born, married or died (maybe) in England or Wales.
 
Born in 1901 in Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland, Stewart Mackenzie joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 (possibly 1915 as he says in 1954 that he has completed 39 years service) under the Boys Service Scheme at that time. In 1943 he was promoted to Wing Commander of a Fighter Command Group after having served 26 years including time in India, Iraq, Egypt and Palestine (Israel). He had by then married "a Cambridge girl" at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem with the service performed by the Royal Air Force chaplain.

In 1945 he was awarded an O.B.E. in the King's Birthday Honours. In 1949 he was Chairman of the London Referees Association and by 1954 he had risen to the rank of Group Captain.

It is possibly his death in the third quarter of 1966, aged 65, recorded in the Hillingdon Registration District. A connection with R.A.F. Uxbridge perhaps?. There is also an Anna R.J. Mackenzie dying there six months previously, aged 63, who may be the "Cambridge girl" but there is little evidence either way.

He was described as a pillar of R.A.F. sport, particularly of football and was well known as a referee. He had toured Europe in 1938 as the linesman for the Football Association. Presumably this was the Continental Tour in the latter half of May 1938 with England playing matches against Germany, Switzerland and France.

He had refereed the marathon Football League War Cup (North) 2nd Round 2nd Leg match between Grimsby Town and Barnsley on 15th March 1941 at Scunthorpe's ground. After a first leg 1-1 the previous Saturday the return match also finished 1-1, and then 2-2 after extra time. Mackenzie played on but no further goal ensued in the next 41 minutes when he called a halt as he had to report back to his base by 6.30p.m.

The F.L. awarded the tie to Barnsley as qualification for the cup was based on the top 32 positions in the regional league. This was deemed similar and they were 5th to Grimsby's 27th. Grimsby's appeal was dismissed so Grimsby requested a share of the gate from the next round match v Sheffield United but they were rebuffed again.

Mackenzie refereed in the Peterborough League when stationed at R.A.F. Wittering (near Peterborough) and was still based there when he was appointed to the F.L. linesmens list for the 1933-34 season. After two seasons on the that list he moved to R.A.F. Upavon (Pewsey, Wiltshire) for two more seasons as a linesman. 1937-38 saw him both promoted to being a supplementary referee and him moving to R.A.F. Martlesham Heath (Woodbridge, Suffolk).

Just before the outbreak of war he made the full list and he was on the move again, this time R.A.F. Group 12 headquarters at Hucknall, Notts. Mackenzie last appears on the referees lists for 1940-41 and 1941-42 by which time he was a Flight Lieutenant and based at R.A.F. Kirton in Lindsey (Gainsborough, Lincolnshire).  His promotion to Wing Commander of a Fighter Command Group in 1943 probably ended his refereeing career.