RateTheRef
General Refereeing => I Spy Old Refs! => Topic started by: guest42 on Sat 13 Mar 2021 10:59
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After browsing through some of the Bundesliga appointments today - they publish the day jobs of their referees on the DFB website - which is quite interesting in itself.
Manuel Grafe is listed as a Sports Scientist, Deniz Aytekin is an Economist, Sören Storks is a "Master Carpenter".
This got me thinking - what are the strangest, unconventional jobs that Referees from yesteryear had outside of the game.
I know that the German Herbert Fandel was a classically trained Concert Pianist - and there was a Swedish FIFA referee who was the elected mayor of his home town.
Any other interesting ones from down the years people can recall?
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Bjorn Kuipers runs a family chain of supermarkets in Holland.
Of course there is the funny story of Mike Dean working in a chicken factory! 😁
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Was it Walter Johnson who was a 'shoe clicker' with Clark's Shoes at Kendal?
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This got me thinking - what are the strangest, unconventional jobs that Referees from yesteryear had outside of the game.
My guess is that you'll get some very unusual occupations prior to WWI.
In more modern times, I always thought that David Elleray's occupation brought a bit of class to the list ! I seem to remember, in the dim and distant past, a documentary on TV looking at his life and "day job".
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Rex Spittle had a variety of occupations including children's entertainer and Butlin's Redcoat! ;D
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Roy Darlington was a 'Pavior'?Or was it Pavier?
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The former.
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Nowadays, sadly, it just seems to be a question of which part of the FA or County FAs they work for.
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Rex Spittle had a variety of occupations including children's entertainer and Butlin's Redcoat! ;D
As I recall he was one of those refs you were never quite sure what to expect. If he was on song very good but could also be pretty poor. The Trevor Kettle of his day!
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Saw Rex at Lincoln against Bradford[PA]in the late sixties.The game was excellent,and I think that day,he was on song!
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Was it Walter Johnson who was a 'shoe clicker' with Clark's Shoes at Kendal?
Indeed, as was Keith Butcher before becoming landlord of one of the towns less salubrious pubs where the “adhesiveness” (and I don’t mean the underside) of the carpets was interesting to say the least!
(I seem to recall that “clicking” was a process involving cutting leather to size; my great uncle worked there with Walter many moons ago)
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John Lowles (1892) was a Coachman.
William Chatterton (1892) was a Cricketer, and Groundsman at Sandringham.
Edmund Hind (1899-1902) was a Coal Merchant.
Gilbert Gillies (1904) was the Secretary and Manager of three FL teams ( Chesterfield, Bradford P.A., and Leeds City).
Alf Warner (1914-20) made cricket bats.
John Hickling (1921-4) was a Wrestling and Boxing Promoter.
Ian Wright (1935-9) was an Aircraft Inspector.
Jimmy Dunbar (1951-3) made parachutes in WW2.
George Flint (1972-82) was a Pit Head Baths Superintendent.