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Topics - John Treleven
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1
« on: Sat 03 Feb 2024 09:10 »
newspaper snippet which might be useful to the collectors of these details -
Bob Bassindale (Doncaster) Linesman Wed 3rd Nov 1971 EC R2 2L Feyenoord v Dynamo Bucharest
2
« on: Sat 13 Jan 2024 07:50 »
Trevor Simpson (Sowerby Bridge/Halifax)
Q3 1943 - Jan 2023, aged 79
Trevor Simpson was born and raised in the Calderdale area and spent most of his working life in Halifax. After joining the legal firm of Bearder and Son, solicitors, from school, he spent thirty two years working for them as the agency manager for the Abbey National Building Society. When Abbey decided in 1990 to open a full branch office in direct competition to Halifax Building Society they wisely offered Trevor the job of the manager of the new Branch. A promotion followed to the regional office as a Business Development Manager where he worked for several years, before he took early retirement and began the research for his books.
A keen sportsman, Trevor played as a goalkeeper in local junior football before being approached by Halifax Town where he played for several seasons but never managed to break through into the first team. An injury in 1966 enforced his change of direction by becoming a football referee and after learning his craft in the Halifax & District Leagues he progressed all the way to the Football League where he spent seven seasons (1984-5 to 1990-1) officiating at the highest domestic level. Two appearances as referee at Wembley F.A. finals, various European and International matches and as a linesman at a World Cup qualifier completed his career as an active referee. He still retains his activity in football in the employment of The Professional Game Match Official Ltd. as a referee coach and also operates as an assessor of referees on the F.A. Premier League. He holds a proud record as a referee at the Dallas Cup International Youth Tournament in Texas where he has completed over 30 consecutive years.
His greatest interest outside of sport has always been popular music. An avid record collector since his teenage years, he possesses practically every version of every song ever sung by Elvis Presley along with a complete collection of every chart topping record issued in the 78rpm format since the British record charts began in 1952. His love of country music is illustrated by having the complete number one recordings in the American charts from 1944 up to the current week. As a writer he has contributed articles to Goldmine, Elvis The Man and His Music, the Dusty Springfield bulletin and is a regular contributor to Essential Elvis, the Graceland approved bi-monthly magazine publication.
3
« on: Thu 09 Nov 2023 18:57 »
George Michael Tyson 22nd May 1939 - 7th November 2023
Sunderland Referees Association Tribute
It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Sunderland R.A. President George Tyson. He left this world on a solemn night after a valiant battle against a relentless illness. George’s life and legacy have left an indelible mark on the Referees Association and the Football Association, earning him a special place in the hearts of his friends and colleagues. In this article, we celebrate the life of George Tyson and reflect on the significant contributions he made to the world of football officiating. George Tyson’s journey in the world of football began with an enduring passion for the sport. He was not a player, nor a coach, but a man who dedicated his life to the often underappreciated, yet vital role of officiating. George’s unwavering commitment to the game was evident as he served as the Sunderland R.A. President, a role he held with pride and distinction.
As the President of the Sunderland Referees Association, George played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community and support among referees in the region. He worked tirelessly to improve the standards of officiating, offering mentorship and guidance to young and aspiring referees. George’s leadership was marked by a commitment to fairness, integrity, and a deep understanding of the game’s intricacies. George’s impact extended far beyond the boundaries of Sunderland. He was known for his warmth, humility, and unwavering respect for everyone he encountered. These qualities made him not only a respected figure among referees but also a beloved friend and mentor to many. His legacy is a testament to the power of treating others with kindness and respect, regardless of the roles they play in the world of football.
George Tyson’s passing has left a void in the hearts of the many friends and colleagues he leaves behind. The Football Association, as well as the entire refereeing community, mourns the loss of a man who dedicated his life to the betterment of the sport. George’s impact on those who had the privilege of knowing him is immeasurable, and he will be remembered with great fondness and admiration. As we bid farewell to George Tyson, we do so with heavy hearts but also with gratitude for the profound impact he had on the world of football officiating. May he rest in peace, knowing that his contributions to the game will be forever remembered. George’s legacy is one of respect, dedication, and passion for football, and it will continue to inspire future generations of referees. The passing of George Tyson, Sunderland R.A. President, marks a sombre moment in the world of football. His life was a testament to the dedication and passion that drives those who take on the often thankless task of officiating. George’s legacy will continue to shine brightly, reminding us all of the importance of respect, camaraderie, and the love of the beautiful game. May he rest in peace and rise in eternal glory, and may light perpetual shine on him always.
4
« on: Fri 18 Aug 2023 08:09 »
Upon his elevation to the Premiership list this season Bond is described as a 43 year old Lancastrian from a footballing family
He certainly started off refereeing in Wigan aged 15, but where was he before that as he was not born in Lancashire?
5
« on: Sun 06 Aug 2023 20:41 »
Mike Dimblebee (Stevenage) was interviewed (but unnamed) with his framed (and signed by both) photograph of the iconic "incident" between Vinnie Jones and Paul Gascoigne from the match Newcastle United v Wimbledon on Saturday 6th February 1988. It was recorded at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham.
6
« on: Sun 23 Jul 2023 21:20 »
1964 1965 Mon 15/03/1965 Sheffield W. v Aston Villa 1964 1965 Sat 10/04/1965 Stoke C. v Sheffield W. 1965 1966 Sat 26/02/1966 Newcastle U. v Stoke C.
7
« on: Sun 23 Jul 2023 14:14 »
27.11.1974 - Stoke City - Queens Park Rangers 19.04.1975 - Stoke City - Newcastle United
8
« on: Thu 29 Jun 2023 09:37 »
A legendary FIFA referee who once sent off George Best for unsportsmanlike conduct has died aged 97
Norman Burtenshaw, originally from Bradwell, had a lengthy career on the pitch, officiating historic matches, including the 1971 F.A. Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool. Burtenshaw died in the early hours of Friday 16th June 2023.
Born on February 9, 1926, Burtenshaw started work as an outfitter, butcher's boy and carpenter's apprentice before enlisting in the Army. During his service he had two tours in India and was posted in Egypt once. Later he worked at a telephone exchange before getting his break on the pitch in 1962.
Following his then career peak refereeing the 1971 F.A. Cup final, Burtenshaw became infamous for sending George Best off for verbal abuse early in the 71-72 season. As he sent Best off Best called him a clown.
Earlier in his career Burtenshaw was knocked unconscious by enraged Millwall fans following their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa and led the F.A. to order the club to erect fencing around the terraces at The Den.
Burtenshaw officiated several high profile games including the 1972 League Cup Final between Stoke City and Chelsea and a European Cup semi-final second-leg tie between Benfica and Ajax. He retired at the end of the 72–73 season at the age of 47, which was mandatory at the time. He was made an O.B.E. in 1974.
After retiring from the pitch Burtenshaw ran the Bradwell sweet shop and also worked for Gateway Building Society. Still passionate about the game at all levels, he served as chairman for the Bradwell Sunday League team El Sol. In 2011 he received a personalised England international cap Jack Taylor, Gordon Kew and Pat Partridge.
Burtenshaw was given a tour of Wembley Stadium for his 90th birthday in 2016. He was also the guest of honour in 2016 for the golden anniversary of the F.A. Amateur Cup final in 1966, which he had officiated. He spent his last years living in Saxmundham with his wife of over 30 years, Brenda, enjoying walks, pub lunches and visits from friends and family.
9
« on: Wed 21 Jun 2023 23:55 »
Can anyone help with the referees of these Division 1 matches 1973-74 to 1981-82?
For ease of reference they are listed by home team (alpha) then away team (alpha)
Updated with responses so far received to save on duplication of effort
198 1978-9 Sat 30 12 1978 Arsenal Birmingham City John Martin (Alton) 107 1976-7 Sat 21 8 1976 Arsenal Bristol City Gordon Kew (Amersham) 286 1980-1 Sat 13 12 1980 Aston Villa Birmingham City Keith Hackett (Sheffield) 221 1979-0 Sat 3 11 1979 Aston Villa Bolton Wanderers Mark Scott (Nottingham) 271 1980-1 Wed 22 10 1980 Aston Villa Brighton & Hove Albion Derek Webb (Sale) 346 1981-2 Mon 12 4 1982 Aston Villa Brighton & Hove Albion Derek Webb (Sale) 193 1978-9 Fri 27 10 1978 Aston Villa Middlesbrough Tony Jenkins (Scunthorpe) 256 1980-1 Wed 20 8 1980 Aston Villa Norwich City Stephen Bates (Bristol) 206 1978-9 Sat 24 3 1979 Aston Villa Tottenham Hotspur Trelford Mills (Barnsley) 328 1981-2 Wed 17 2 1982 Aston Villa Tottenham Hotspur Neil Midgley (Salford) 341 1981-2 Tue 30 3 1982 Aston Villa West Bromwich Albion John Hunting (Leicester) 88 1975-6 Fri 26 12 1975 Aston Villa West Ham United Arthur Jones (Ormskirk) 133 1976-7 Tue 18 1 1977 Birmingham City Arsenal Tom Reynolds (Swansea) 267 1980-1 Sat 11 10 1980 Birmingham City Aston Villa Neville Ashley (Nantwich) 329 1981-2 Sat 20 2 1982 Birmingham City Aston Villa Tom Bune (Cranleigh) 70 1975-6 Sat 20 9 1975 Birmingham City Burnley John Homewood (Sunbury) 276 1980-1 Sat 8 11 1980 Birmingham City Crystal Palace Ron Bridges (Deeside) 169 1977-8 Sat 17 12 1977 Birmingham City Everton Jim Bent (Hemel Hempstead) 310 1980-1 Sat 2 5 1981 Birmingham City Everton Howard Taylor (Oadby) 342 1981-2 Tue 6 4 1982 Birmingham City Everton Clive Thomas (Porthcawl) 284 1980-1 Sat 6 12 1980 Birmingham City Leicester City Clive Thomas (Porthcawl) 19 1973-4 Sat 19 1 1974 Birmingham City Manchester City Brian Daniels (Brentwood) 92 1975-6 Sat 14 2 1976 Birmingham City Manchester City Peter Walters (Bridgwater) 182 1977-8 Sat 22 4 1978 Birmingham City Manchester City Ray Lewis (Great Bookham) 332 1981-2 Sat 6 3 1982 Birmingham City Manchester United Howard King (Merthyr Tydfil) 115 1976-7 Sat 16 10 1976 Birmingham City Middlesbrough Eric Read (Bristol) 172 1977-8 Sat 4 2 1978 Birmingham City Middlesbrough Joe Worrall (Warrington) 6 1973-4 Sat 8 12 1973 Birmingham City Newcastle United Alex Lees (Street) 72 1975-6 Tue 23 9 1975 Birmingham City Newcastle United Bob Matthewson (Bolton) 57 1973-4 Sat 27 4 1974 Birmingham City Norwich City Walter Johnson (Kendal) 179 1977-8 Sat 8 4 1978 Birmingham City Norwich City Cliff Maskell (Cambridge) 295 1980-1 Sat 21 2 1981 Birmingham City Norwich City Don Shaw (Sandbach) 55 1973-4 Tue 23 4 1974 Birmingham City Queens Park Rangers 66 1975-6 Sat 6 9 1975 Birmingham City Queens Park Rangers Peter Reeves (Leicester) 119 1976-7 Sat 30 10 1976 Birmingham City Queens Park Rangers Peter Reeves (Leicester) 162 1977-8 Tue 4 10 1977 Birmingham City Queens Park Rangers 204 1978-9 Tue 6 3 1979 Birmingham City Queens Park Rangers Neil Midgley (Salford) 211 1978-9 Sat 7 4 1979 Birmingham City Southampton Stephen Bates (Bristol) 314 1981-2 Sat 10 10 1981 Birmingham City Southampton Brian Martin (Keyworth, Notts) 46 1973-4 Sat 13 4 1974 Birmingham City Stoke City Keith Styles (Barnsley) 150 1976-7 Sat 16 4 1977 Birmingham City Stoke City Mike Jones (Ormskirk) 272 1980-1 Sat 25 10 1980 Birmingham City Stoke City John Hunting (Leicester) 349 1981-2 Sat 24 4 1982 Birmingham City Swansea City Clive White (Harrow) 143 1976-7 Sat 19 3 1977 Birmingham City Tottenham Hotspur Les Hayes (Doncaster) 202 1978-9 Sat 24 2 1979 Birmingham City Tottenham Hotspur Derek Owen (Bebbington) 337 1981-2 Tue 23 3 1982 Birmingham City Tottenham Hotspur 112 1976-7 Sat 11 9 1976 Birmingham City West Bromwich Albion 81 1975-6 Sat 1 11 1975 Birmingham City West Ham United John Goggins (Manchester) 214 1979-0 Sat 8 9 1979 Bolton Wanderers West Bromwich Albion Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 134 1976-7 Sat 22 1 1977 Bristol City Arsenal Morris Baker (Wolverhampton) 118 1976-7 Tue 26 10 1976 Bristol City Birmingham City Ron Crabb (Exeter) 209 1978-9 Sat 31 3 1979 Bristol City Birmingham City Malcolm Sinclair (Guildford) 195 1978-9 Sat 11 11 1978 Bristol City Bolton Wanderers Alan Robinson (Waterlooville) 230 1979-0 Tue 1 1 1980 Bristol City Brighton & Hove Albion Maurice Robinson (Sutton Coldfield) 237 1979-0 Sat 1 3 1980 Bristol City Crystal Palace Vic Callow (Solihull) 234 1979-0 Tue 19 2 1980 Bristol City Everton Colin Downey (Hounslow) 164 1977-8 Sat 8 10 1977 Bristol City Leeds United Tony Glasson (Salisbury) 171 1977-8 Sat 14 1 1978 Bristol City Leicester City Colin Downey (Hounslow) 157 1976-7 Sat 7 5 1977 Bristol City Manchester United Ray Toseland (Kettering) 128 1976-7 Sat 18 12 1976 Bristol City Middlesbrough Robert Perkin (Stafford) 135 1976-7 Sat 5 2 1977 Bristol City Newcastle United Derek Civil (Birmingham) 122 1976-7 Sat 20 11 1976 Bristol City Norwich City Alan Robinson (Waterlooville) 249 1979-0 Sat 26 4 1980 Bristol City Norwich City Alan Seville (Birmingham) 210 1978-9 Tue 3 4 1979 Bristol City Queens Park Rangers Derek Lloyd (Worcester) 190 1978-9 Sat 16 9 1978 Bristol City Southampton Angus McDonald (Sutton Coldfield) 149 1976-7 Tue 12 4 1977 Bristol City Tottenham Hotspur Clive Thomas (Treorchy) 226 1979-0 Sat 8 12 1979 Bristol City Tottenham Hotspur David Letts (Basingstoke) 148 1976-7 Tue 5 4 1977 Bristol City West Bromwich Albion Lester Shapter (Torquay) 244 1979-0 Sat 5 4 1980 Bristol City West Bromwich Albion Les Burden (Corfe Mullen) 62 1975-6 Tue 19 8 1975 Burnley Everton Robert Perkin (Stafford) 238 1979-0 Sat 8 3 1980 Crystal Palace Bolton Wanderers David Hutchinson (Bourne) 245 1979-0 Sat 5 4 1980 Crystal Palace Brighton & Hove Albion Brian Daniels (Brentwood) 220 1979-0 Sat 20 10 1979 Crystal Palace Bristol City Jeff Sewell (Leicester) 235 1979-0 Sat 23 2 1980 Crystal Palace Everton Ken Baker (Rugby) 298 1980-1 Sat 28 2 1981 Crystal Palace Everton Eric Read (Bristol) 217 1979-0 Sat 6 10 1979 Crystal Palace Tottenham Hotspur Michael Taylor (Deal) 231 1979-0 Sat 26 1 1980 Crystal Palace West Bromwich Albion Allan Gunn (Burgess Hill) 16 1973-4 Sat 12 1 1974 Derby County Burnley Jim Bent (Hemel Hempstead) 67 1975-6 Sat 6 9 1975 Derby County Burnley Brian Daniels (Brentwood) 5 1973-4 Sat 24 11 1973 Derby County Leeds United Harry New (Bristol) 24 1973-4 Sat 16 2 1974 Derby County Manchester United Ray Toseland (Kettering) 22 1973-4 Sat 2 2 1974 Derby County Newcastle United Gordon Kew (Amersham) 197 1978-9 Sat 25 11 1978 Derby County Queens Park Rangers Pat Partridge (Bishop Auckland) 47 1973-4 Sat 13 4 1974 Derby County Sheffield United Clive Thomas (Treorchy) 28 1973-4 Sat 2 3 1974 Derby County Stoke City Trevor Spencer (Wootton Bassett) 11 1973-4 Sat 22 12 1973 Derby County Tottenham Hotspur Arthur Jones (Ormskirk) 33 1973-4 Sat 9 3 1974 Derby County West Ham United Bob Matthewson (Bolton) 243 1979-0 Fri 28 3 1980 Everton Arsenal Jeff Bray (Hinckley) 323 1981-2 Sat 19 12 1981 Everton Aston Villa Colin Seel (Carlisle) 34 1973-4 Sat 9 3 1974 Everton Birmingham City Peter Willis (Meadowfield) 246 1979-0 Sat 5 4 1980 Everton Bolton Wanderers John Hough (Macclesfield) 227 1979-0 Sat 8 12 1979 Everton Brighton & Hove Albion George Nolan (Stockport) 287 1980-1 Sat 13 12 1980 Everton Brighton & Hove Albion Morris Baker (Wolverhampton) 311 1981-2 Sat 12 9 1981 Everton Brighton & Hove Albion Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 216 1979-0 Sat 29 9 1979 Everton Bristol City Gilbert Napthine (Loughborough) 261 1980-1 Sat 20 9 1980 Everton Crystal Palace Maurice Robinson (Sutton Coldfield) 13 1973-4 Sat 29 12 1973 Everton Derby County Iorwerth Jones (Treharris) 56 1973-4 Tue 23 4 1974 Everton Manchester United Peter Baldwin (Middlesbrough) 303 1980-1 Sat 28 3 1981 Everton Manchester United Peter Reeves (Leicester) 344 1981-2 Sat 10 4 1982 Everton Manchester United Alan Saunders (Newcastle) 223 1979-0 Sat 10 11 1979 Everton Middlesbrough Neil Midgley (Salford) 153 1976-7 Tue 19 4 1977 Everton Norwich City Jeff Sewell (Leicester) 97 1975-6 Sat 13 3 1976 Everton Queens Park Rangers Peter Reeves (Leicester) 58 1973-4 Sat 27 4 1974 Everton Southampton Harold Williams (Sheffield) 264 1980-1 Sat 4 10 1980 Everton Southampton Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 324 1981-2 Sat 19 1 1982 Everton Southampton Morris Baker (Wolverhampton) 102 1975-6 Wed 7 4 1976 Everton Stoke City Walter Johnson (Kendal) 241 1979-0 Tue 18 3 1980 Everton Stoke City Mike Peck (Doncaster) 308 1980-1 Sat 25 4 1981 Everton Stoke City George Courtney (Spennymoor) 327 1981-2 Sat 13 2 1982 Everton Stoke City Arnold Challinor (Maltby) 159 1976-7 Mon 16 5 1977 Everton West Bromwich Albion Keith Styles (Barnsley) 330 1981-2 Sat 27 2 1982 Everton West Ham United John Key (Rotherham) 163 1977-8 Wed 5 10 1977 Leeds United Aston Villa Terry Farley (Newton Aycliffe) 232 1979-0 Sat 9 2 1980 Leeds United Bolton Wanderers Peter Willis (Meadowfield) 43 1973-4 Sat 6 4 1974 Leeds United Derby County John Williams (Wrexham) 27 1973-4 Tue 26 2 1974 Leeds United Leicester City Dave Wallace (Crewe) 262 1980-1 Sat 20 9 1980 Leeds United Manchester United Ken Baker (Rugby) 29 1973-4 Sat 2 3 1974 Leeds United Newcastle United Clive Thomas (Treorchy) 293 1980-1 Sat 31 1 1981 Leeds United Norwich City Ken Redfern (Whitley Bay) 49 1973-4 Mon 15 4 1974 Leeds United Sheffield United 17 1973-4 Sat 12 1 1974 Leeds United Southampton Gordon Hill (Leicester) 15 1973-4 Tue 1 1 1974 Leeds United Tottenham Hotspur Bob Matthewson (Bolton) 139 1976-7 Sat 5 3 1977 Leicester City Aston Villa Pat Partridge (Bishop Auckland) 180 1977-8 Sat 15 4 1978 Leicester City Birmingham City George Flint (Kirby) 309 1980-1 Sat 25 4 1981 Leicester City Birmingham City Darryl Reeves (Uxbridge) 302 1980-1 Sat 21 3 1981 Leicester City Crystal Palace Pat Partridge (Bishop Auckland) 30 1973-4 Sat 2 3 1974 Leicester City Everton Ray Tinkler (Boston) 95 1975-6 Sat 6 3 1976 Leicester City Everton Harold Hackney (Barnsley) 294 1980-1 Sat 7 2 1981 Leicester City Manchester United David Hutchinson (Harrogate) 59 1973-4 Mon 29 4 1974 Leicester City Norwich City Jack Rice (Preston) 93 1975-6 Sat 21 2 1976 Leicester City Sheffield United Don Biddle (Bristol) 266 1980-1 Wed 8 10 1980 Leicester City Stoke City Peter Richardson (Lincoln) 78 1975-6 Sat 25 10 1975 Leicester City Tottenham Hotspur Pat Partridge (Bishop Auckland) 263 1980-1 Sat 27 9 1980 Leicester City Tottenham Hotspur Joe Worrall (Warrington) 177 1977-8 Sat 1 4 1978 Leicester City West Bromwich Albion Don Shaw (Sandbach) 136 1976-7 Sat 5 2 1977 Leicester City West Ham United Bill Gow (Swansea) 109 1976-7 Wed 25 8 1976 Manchester City Aston Villa Walter Johnson (Kendal) 41 1973-4 Tue 2 4 1974 Manchester City Everton Harold Hackney (Barnsley) 160 1977-8 Sat 20 8 1977 Manchester City Leicester City Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 35 1973-4 Wed 13 3 1974 Manchester City Manchester United Clive Thomas (Treorchy) 68 1975-6 Sat 13 9 1975 Manchester City Middlesbrough Alf Grey (Great Yarmouth) 121 1976-7 Sat 6 11 1976 Manchester City Newcastle United Alex Hamil (Wolverhampton) 61 1975-6 Sat 16 8 1975 Manchester City Norwich City Dennis Turner (Cannock) 2 1973-4 Sat 17 11 1973 Manchester City Queens Park Rangers Ray Tinkler (Boston) 23 1973-4 Sat 2 2 1974 Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur Bill Gow (Swansea) 123 1976-7 Sat 20 11 1976 Manchester City West Bromwich Albion Ken Walmsley (Blackpool) 52 1973-4 Sat 20 4 1974 Manchester City West Ham United Jack Taylor (Wolverhampton) 248 1979-0 Wed 23 4 1980 Manchester United Aston Villa Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 326 1981-2 Sat 6 2 1982 Manchester United Aston Villa Ken Redfern (Whitley Bay) 291 1980-1 Sat 10 1 1981 Manchester United Brighton & Hove Albion Maurice Robinson (Sutton Coldfield) 50 1973-4 Mon 15 4 1974 Manchester United Everton Walter Johnson (Kendal) 189 1978-9 Sat 2 9 1978 Manchester United Everton John Hunting (Leicester) 273 1980-1 Sat 25 10 1980 Manchester United Everton Don Shaw (Sandbach) 239 1979-0 Wed 12 3 1980 Manchester United Everton Alan Saunders (Newcastle) 174 1977-8 Wed 1 3 1978 Manchester United Leeds United Walter Johnson (Kendal) 260 1980-1 Sat 13 9 1980 Manchester United Leicester City Colin Seel (Carlisle) 254 1980-1 Sat 16 8 1980 Manchester United Middlesbrough Brian Martin (Keyworth, Notts) 7 1973-4 Sat 8 12 1973 Manchester United Southampton Roger Kirkpatrick (Leicester) 37 1973-4 Sat 23 3 1974 Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur Bill Gow (Swansea) 348 1981-2 Sat 17 4 1982 Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur Derek Lloyd (Worcester) 176 1977-8 Sat 18 3 1978 Manchester United West Bromwich Albion George Courtney (Spennymoor) 347 1981-2 Mon 12 4 1982 Manchester United West Bromwich Albion Colin Seel (Carlisle) 253 1979-0 Mon 19 5 1980 Middlesbrough Arsenal Allan Banks (Manchester) 319 1981-2 Sat 21 11 1981 Middlesbrough Aston Villa Allan Banks (Manchester) 65 1975-6 Tue 26 8 1975 Middlesbrough Birmingham City Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 275 1980-1 Sat 1 11 1980 Middlesbrough Birmingham City Derek Webb (Sale) 312 1981-2 Sat 12 9 1981 Middlesbrough Birmingham City David Scott (Burnley) 225 1979-0 Sat 24 11 1979 Middlesbrough Brighton & Hove Albion Neville Ashley (Nantwich) 194 1978-9 Sat 4 11 1978 Middlesbrough Bristol City Peter Richardson (Lincoln) 183 1977-8 Sat 22 4 1978 Middlesbrough Everton Tony Jenkins (Scunthorpe) 205 1978-9 Tue 6 3 1979 Middlesbrough Everton Keith Butcher (Kendal) 242 1979-0 Sat 22 3 1980 Middlesbrough Everton Arnold Challinor (Maltby) 316 1981-2 Sat 24 10 1981 Middlesbrough Everton Keith Hackett (Sheffield) 343 1981-2 Tue 6 4 1982 Middlesbrough Leeds United Ken Walmsley (Blackpool) 120 1976-7 Sat 30 10 1976 Middlesbrough Leicester City Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 98 1975-6 Sat 13 3 1976 Middlesbrough Leicester City Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 270 1980-1 Tue 21 10 1980 Middlesbrough Leicester City Alan Porter (Bolton) 87 1975-6 Sat 6 12 1975 Middlesbrough Manchester United Walter Johnson (Kendal) 207 1978-9 Tue 27 3 1979 Middlesbrough Manchester United Mike Peck (Kendal) 265 1980-1 Sat 4 10 1980 Middlesbrough Norwich City Allan Banks (Manchester) 103 1975-6 Sat 17 4 1976 Middlesbrough Sheffield United Colin Seel (Carlisle) 196 1978-9 Sat 18 11 1978 Middlesbrough Southampton Neil Midgley (Salford) 269 1980-1 Sat 18 10 1980 Middlesbrough Southampton Neil Midgley (Salford) 130 1976-7 Sat 1 1 1977 Middlesbrough Stoke City Peter Richardson (Lincoln) 222 1979-0 Sat 3 11 1979 Middlesbrough Tottenham Hotspur David Richardson (Accrington) 304 1980-1 Sat 28 3 1981 Middlesbrough West Bromwich Albion David Scott (Burnley) 76 1975-6 Sat 18 10 1975 Middlesbrough West Ham United Roy Capey (Madeley Heath) 155 1976-7 Fri 29 4 1977 Middlesbrough West Ham United Kevin McNally (Hooton) 53 1973-4 Sat 20 4 1974 Newcastle United Birmingham City Bob Matthewson (Bolton) 117 1976-7 Sat 23 10 1976 Newcastle United Birmingham City Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 9 1973-4 Sat 15 12 1973 Newcastle United Derby County Ralph Lee (Cheadle) 44 1973-4 Sat 6 4 1974 Newcastle United Everton Les Hayes (Doncaster) 89 1975-6 Sat 10 1 1976 Newcastle United Everton Keith Butcher (Kendal) 124 1976-7 Wed 24 11 1976 Newcastle United Everton Colin Seel (Carlisle) 64 1975-6 Sat 23 8 1975 Newcastle United Leicester City Gordon Trevett (Manchester) 77 1975-6 Sat 18 10 1975 Newcastle United Norwich City Ken Walmsley (Blackpool) 125 1976-7 Sat 27 11 1976 Newcastle United Queens Park Rangers Bob Matthewson (Bolton) 184 1977-8 Sat 22 4 1978 Newcastle United Queens Park Rangers Walter Johnson (Kendal) 60 1973-4 Sat 11 5 1974 Newcastle United Tottenham Hotspur Jack Rice (Preston) 20 1973-4 Sat 19 1 1974 Newcastle United West Ham United Gordon Hill (Leicester) 151 1976-7 Sat 16 4 1977 Newcastle United West Ham United Tony Morrissey (Bramhall) 278 1980-1 Wed 12 11 1980 Norwich City Aston Villa Tom Bune (Cranleigh) 152 1976-7 Sat 16 4 1977 Norwich City Bristol City Les Hayes (Doncaster) 251 1979-0 Sat 3 5 1980 Norwich City Derby County Brian Daniels (Brentwood) 156 1976-7 Sat 30 4 1977 Norwich City Everton Jim Bent (Hemel Hempstead) 71 1975-6 Sat 20 9 1975 Norwich City Leicester City Derek Nippard (Bournemouth) 45 1973-4 Sat 6 4 1974 Norwich City Manchester United Don Biddle (Bristol) 146 1976-7 Sat 2 4 1977 Norwich City Manchester United John Homewood (Sunbury) 181 1977-8 Sat 15 4 1978 Norwich City Manchester United Brian Martin (Keyworth, Notts) 236 1979-0 Wed 27 2 1980 Norwich City Middlesbrough John Hunting (Leicester) 300 1980-1 Tue 17 3 1981 Norwich City Middlesbrough Gilbert Napthine (Loughborough) 84 1975-6 Sat 22 11 1975 Norwich City Newcastle United Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 201 1978-9 Wed 31 1 1979 Norwich City Queens Park Rangers 187 1978-9 Sat 19 8 1978 Norwich City Southampton John Homewood (Sunbury) 218 1979-0 Sat 6 10 1979 Norwich City Stoke City Cliff Maskell (Cambridge) 255 1980-1 Sat 16 8 1980 Norwich City Stoke City Ron Challis (Tonbridge) 96 1975-6 Sat 6 3 1976 Norwich City Tottenham Hotspur Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 137 1976-7 Sat 5 2 1977 Norwich City West Bromwich Albion Bryan James (South Croydon) 186 1977-8 Sat 29 4 1978 Norwich City West Bromwich Albion Ron Challis (Tonbridge) 200 1978-9 Sat 13 1 1979 Norwich City West Bromwich Albion Derek Richardson (Lincoln) 350 1981-2 Sat 1 5 1982 Notts County Birmingham City David Scott (Burnley) 320 1981-2 Tue 24 11 1981 Notts County Everton Malcolm Heath (Stoke) 338 1981-2 Sat 27 3 1982 Notts County Leeds United Neville Ashley (Nantwich) 353 1981-2 Tue 11 5 1982 Notts County Middlesbrough Vic Callow (Solihull) 333 1981-2 Sat 6 3 1982 Notts County Southampton Jim Borrett (Eye, Suffolk) 321 1981-2 Sat 28 11 1981 Notts County Tottenham Hotspur Ken Walmsley (Blackpool) 354 1981-2 Sat 15 5 1982 Notts County West Bromwich Albion John Deakin (Bedford) 63 1975-6 Tue 19 8 1975 Queens Park Rangers Aston Villa Alan Robinson (Waterlooville) 191 1978-9 Sat 23 9 1978 Queens Park Rangers Aston Villa Cliff Maskell (Cambridge) 90 1975-6 Sat 17 1 1976 Queens Park Rangers Birmingham City Ray Tinkler (Boston) 185 1977-8 Tue 25 4 1978 Queens Park Rangers Birmingham City Reg Robinson (Norwich) 154 1976-7 Tue 26 4 1977 Queens Park Rangers Bristol City 173 1977-8 Sat 25 2 1978 Queens Park Rangers Bristol City Malcolm Sinclair (Guildford) 18 1973-4 Sat 12 1 1974 Queens Park Rangers Everton Alex Lees (Street) 75 1975-6 Sat 11 10 1975 Queens Park Rangers Everton Peter Reeves (Leicester) 108 1976-7 Sat 21 8 1976 Queens Park Rangers Everton Roger Kirkpatrick (Leicester) 165 1977-8 Sat 8 10 1977 Queens Park Rangers Everton Roger Kirkpatrick (Leicester) 192 1978-9 Sat 21 10 1978 Queens Park Rangers Everton Brian Stevens (Stonehouse) 199 1978-9 Sat 30 12 1978 Queens Park Rangers Leeds United Tom Reynolds (Swansea) 99 1975-6 Sat 27 3 1976 Queens Park Rangers Manchester City Terry Bosi (Wolverhampton) 69 1975-6 Sat 13 9 1975 Queens Park Rangers Manchester United Dennis Turner (Cannock) 178 1977-8 Sat 1 4 1978 Queens Park Rangers Middlesbrough Derek Nippard (Bournemouth) 74 1975-6 Sat 27 9 1975 Queens Park Rangers Newcastle United Derek Nippard (Bournemouth) 168 1977-8 Sat 10 12 1977 Queens Park Rangers Newcastle United Reg Robinson (Norwich) 114 1976-7 Tue 5 10 1976 Queens Park Rangers Norwich City Tom Bune (Cranleigh) 8 1973-4 Sat 8 12 1973 Queens Park Rangers Sheffield United Roy Capey (Madeley Heath) 79 1975-6 Sat 25 10 1975 Queens Park Rangers Sheffield United Tony Glasson (Salisbury) 203 1978-9 Sat 24 2 1979 Queens Park Rangers Southampton Alan Seville (Birmingham) 86 1975-6 Sat 29 11 1975 Queens Park Rangers Stoke City Ken Baker (Rugby) 82 1975-6 Sat 8 11 1975 Queens Park Rangers Tottenham Hotpsur Harold Hackney (Barnsley) 31 1973-4 Sat 2 3 1974 Queens Park Rangers Tottenham Hotspur Peter Reeves (Leicester) 132 1976-7 Tue 11 1 1977 Queens Park Rangers Tottenham Hotspur 111 1976-7 Sat 4 9 1976 Queens Park Rangers West Bromwich Albion Ron Challis (Tonbridge) 166 1977-8 Sat 29 10 1977 Queens Park Rangers West Bromwich Albion Don Biddle (Bristol) 147 1976-7 Mon 4 4 1977 Queens Park Rangers West Ham United Don Biddle (Bristol) 175 1977-8 Wed 15 3 1978 Queens Park Rangers West Ham United Ron Challis (Tonbridge) 113 1976-7 Sat 25 9 1976 Queens Park Ranges Stoke City Eric Read (Bristol) 106 1975-6 Tue 4 5 1976 Sheffield United Birmingham City 73 1975-6 Tue 23 9 1975 Sheffield United Burnley Ken Burns (Stourbridge) 3 1973-4 Sat 17 11 1973 Sheffield United Derby County Ivan Smith (Accrington) 91 1975-6 Sat 7 2 1976 Sheffield United Everton John Hough (Macclesfield) 25 1973-4 Sat 16 2 1974 Sheffield United Stoke City Peter Reeves (Leicester) 38 1973-4 Sat 23 3 1974 Sheffield United West Ham United John Hunting (Leicester) 240 1979-0 Sat 15 3 1980 Southampton Aston Villa Ron Challis (Tonbridge) 345 1981-2 Sat 10 4 1982 Southampton Aston Villa Ken Salmon (Barnet) 39 1973-4 Sat 23 3 1974 Southampton Birmingham City Trevor Spencer (Wootton Bassett) 258 1980-1 Sat 30 8 1980 Southampton Birmingham City Lester Shapter (Torquay) 331 1981-2 Sat 27 2 1982 Southampton Birmingham City Mike James (Horsham) 229 1979-0 Sat 29 12 1979 Southampton Bolton Wanderers Ray Toseland (Market Harborough) 233 1979-0 Sat 9 2 1980 Southampton Brighton & Hove Albion Derek Lloyd (Worcester) 322 1981-2 Tue 8 12 1981 Southampton Brighton & Hove Albion Dennis Hedges (Oxford) 250 1979-0 Tue 29 4 1980 Southampton Bristol City 219 1979-0 Tue 9 10 1979 Southampton Crystal Palace 288 1980-1 Sat 20 12 1980 Southampton Crystal Palace Mike Warner (Wednesbury) 32 1973-4 Tue 5 3 1974 Southampton Derby County Jack Taylor (Wolverhampton) 228 1979-0 Sat 15 12 1979 Southampton Everton Brian Daniels (Brentwood) 301 1980-1 Tue 17 3 1981 Southampton Everton Ray Lewis (Great Bookham) 290 1980-1 Sat 27 12 1980 Southampton Leicester City Allan Gunn (Burgess Hill) 26 1973-4 Sat 23 2 1974 Southampton Manchester City Arthur Hart (Borough Green) 313 1981-2 Sat 19 9 1981 Southampton Middlesbrough Tony Ward (London N11) 315 1981-2 Sat 17 10 1981 Southampton Notts County Colin Downey (Hounslow) 21 1973-4 Sat 19 1 1974 Southampton Queens Park Rangers John Hunting (Leicester) 339 1981-2 Sat 27 3 1982 Southampton Stoke City David Axcell (Southend) 296 1980-1 Sat 21 2 1981 Southampton West Bromwich Albion Ken Salmon (Barnet) 334 1981-2 Sat 13 3 1982 Southampton West Bromwich Albion Michael Taylor (Deal) 145 1976-7 Wed 23 3 1977 Stoke City Arsenal Trelford Mills (Barnsley) 351 1981-2 Wed 5 5 1982 Stoke City Aston Villa Norman Glover (Chorley) 305 1980-1 Sat 28 3 1981 Stoke City Birmingham City Alan Porter (Bolton) 4 1973-4 Sat 17 11 1973 Stoke City Birmingham City Derek Nippard (Bournemouth) 104 1975-6 Mon 19 4 1976 Stoke City Birmingham City Kevin McNally (Hooton) 335 1981-2 Sat 20 3 1982 Stoke City Brighton & Hove Albion Norman Wilson (Morecambe) 281 1980-1 Sat 22 11 1980 Stoke City Crystal Palace 12 1973-4 Wed 26 12 1973 Stoke City Derby County Clive Thomas (Treorchy) 1 1973-4 Wed 5 9 1973 Stoke City Everton Gordon Hill (Leicester) 83 1975-6 Sat 8 11 1975 Stoke City Everton Colin Seel (Carlisle) 51 1973-4 Mon 15 4 1974 Stoke City Leicester City Harold Williams (Sheffield) 144 1976-7 Sat 19 3 1977 Stoke City Leicester City Tom Reynolds (Swansea) 101 1975-6 Sat 3 4 1976 Stoke City Manchester City Keith Styles (Barnsley) 138 1976-7 Sat 5 2 1977 Stoke City Manchester City George Flint (Kirby) 325 1981-2 Sat 23 1 1982 Stoke City Manchester United David Allison (Lancaster) 42 1973-4 Wed 3 4 1974 Stoke City Newcastle United Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 80 1975-6 Sat 25 10 1975 Stoke City Newcastle United Alex Lees (Street) 142 1976-7 Tue 15 3 1977 Stoke City Newcastle United Walter Johnson (Kendal) 158 1976-7 Sat 7 5 1977 Stoke City Norwich City Bill Gow (Swansea) 280 1980-1 Sat 15 11 1980 Stoke City Norwich City George Nolan (Stockport) 14 1973-4 Sat 29 12 1973 Stoke City Queens Park Rangers Bob Armstrong (Ilkley) 140 1976-7 Sat 5 3 1977 Stoke City Queens Park Rangers Gordon Kew (Middlesbrough) 85 1975-6 Sat 22 11 1975 Stoke City Sheffield United John Goggins (Manchester) 36 1973-4 Sat 16 3 1974 Stoke City Southampton Arthur Jones (Ormskirk) 54 1973-4 Sat 20 4 1974 Stoke City Tottenham Hotspur Peter Willis (Meadowfield) 94 1975-6 Sat 21 2 1976 Stoke City Tottenham Hotspur Peter Willis (Meadowfield) 129 1976-7 Sat 18 12 1976 Stoke City West Bromwich Albion Ken Ridden (Shrewsbury) 188 1978-9 Wed 23 8 1978 Tottenham Hotspur Aston Villa Don Biddle (Bristol) 116 1976-7 Wed 20 10 1976 Tottenham Hotspur Birmingham City Alf Grey (Great Yarmouth) 292 1980-1 Sat 10 1 1981 Tottenham Hotspur Birmingham City Stephen Bates (Bristol) 224 1979-0 Sat 10 11 1979 Tottenham Hotspur Bolton Wanderers Peter Reeves (Leicester) 215 1979-0 Sat 8 9 1979 Tottenham Hotspur Brighton & Hove Albion Cliff Maskell (Cambridge) 257 1980-1 Sat 23 8 1980 Tottenham Hotspur Brighton & Hove Albion Mark Scott (Nottingham) 252 1979-0 Sat 3 5 1980 Tottenham Hotspur Bristol City Mark Scott (Nottingham) 279 1980-1 Wed 12 11 1980 Tottenham Hotspur Crystal Palace Ken Baker (Rugby) 40 1973-4 Sat 30 3 1974 Tottenham Hotspur Everton Clive Thomas (Treorchy) 247 1979-0 Sat 19 4 1980 Tottenham Hotspur Everton Michael Taylor (Deal) 307 1980-1 Sat 4 4 1981 Tottenham Hotspur Everton Michael Taylor (Deal) 297 1980-1 Sat 21 2 1981 Tottenham Hotspur Leicester City John Deakin (Bedford) 10 1973-4 Sat 15 12 1973 Tottenham Hotspur Manchester City Ken Burns (Stourbridge) 268 1980-1 Sat 11 10 1980 Tottenham Hotspur Middlesbrough Brian Hill (Kettering) 105 1975-6 Sat 24 4 1976 Tottenham Hotspur Newcastle United Tom Reynolds (Swansea) 213 1978-9 Sat 14 4 1979 Tottenham Hotspur Queens Park Rangers Lester Shapter (Torquay) 100 1975-6 Sat 27 3 1976 Tottenham Hotspur Sheffield United Roger Kirkpatrick (Leicester) 48 1973-4 Sat 13 4 1974 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton Iorwerth Jones (Treharris) 208 1978-9 Wed 28 3 1979 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton Allan Gunn (Burgess Hill) 289 1980-1 Fri 26 12 1980 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton Derek Civil (Birmingham) 336 1981-2 Sat 20 3 1982 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton John Deakin (Bedford) 126 1976-7 Sat 27 11 1976 Tottenham Hotspur Stoke City John Homewood (Sunbury) 141 1976-7 Sat 12 3 1977 Tottenham Hotspur West Bromwich Albion Les Burden (Corfe Mullen) 283 1980-1 Sat 29 11 1980 Tottenham Hotspur West Bromwich Albion Dennis Hedges (Oxford) 131 1976-7 Sat 1 1 1977 Tottenham Hotspur West Ham United Malcolm Sinclair (Guildford) 277 1980-1 Sat 8 11 1980 West Bromwich Albion Aston Villa John Hunting (Leicester) 352 1981-2 Sat 8 5 1982 West Bromwich Albion Aston Villa Brian Stevens (Stonehouse) 299 1980-1 Sat 7 3 1981 West Bromwich Albion Crystal Palace Ken Walmsley (Blackpool) 127 1976-7 Sat 27 11 1976 West Bromwich Albion Everton John Hunting (Leicester) 212 1978-9 Sat 7 4 1979 West Bromwich Albion Everton Bill Bombroff (Bristol) 306 1980-1 Tue 31 3 1981 West Bromwich Albion Everton Ray Toseland (Market Harborough) 285 1980-1 Sat 6 12 1980 West Bromwich Albion Leeds United Gilbert Napthine (Loughborough) 282 1980-1 Sat 22 11 1980 West Bromwich Albion Leicester City Norman Glover (Chorley) 274 1980-1 Sat 25 10 1980 West Bromwich Albion Middlesbrough Joe Worrall (Warrington) 110 1976-7 Sat 28 8 1976 West Bromwich Albion Norwich City Mike Lowe (Sheffield) 167 1977-8 Sat 3 12 1977 West Bromwich Albion Norwich City Stephen Bates (Bristol) 259 1980-1 Sat 6 9 1980 West Bromwich Albion Norwich City Les Burden (Corfe Mullen) 317 1981-2 Sat 24 10 1981 West Bromwich Albion Southampton Neville Ashley (Nantwich) 318 1981-2 Sat 14 11 1981 West Bromwich Albion Stoke City Stephen Bates (Bristol) 340 1981-2 Sat 27 3 1982 West Bromwich Albion Tottenham Ffrancgon Roberts (Prestatyn) 170 1977-8 Sat 31 12 1977 West Ham United Leicester City Cliff Maskell (Cambridge) 161 1977-8 Sat 10 9 1977 West Ham United Queens Park Rangers Alan Robinson (Waterlooville)
10
« on: Sat 27 May 2023 17:19 »
Bolton News 9th February 2009 by Nick Jackson
Norman Hayes (born 3rd April 1933)
The player who became a referee
The footballing career of Norman Hayes as both player and referee underlines how much the game has changed. In the modern era it is unheard of for a referee at the top of the game to have played the game at all. But when ex-striker Hayes, now aged 75, had finished banging in goals for the likes of Bury and Burnley reserves, and a variety of non-league clubs, like Morecambe, Fleetwood, Darwen and Bacup, he was more than happy to become the man in the middle.
Hayes, who has lived in Over Hulton all his life, might have been destined for greater things as a footballer, after impressing as a speedy outside right for various local teams, including an outing in the Halliwell Rovers side which lifted the Bolton Hospital Cup following victory over Daubhill Athletic on a pitch in Lowndes Street Bolton, in 1952.
“I was a Bury player, appearing regularly in the reserves, by then. The Hospital Cup was played in the evening, and Bury wouldn’t let me off, so on the day of the final I played in the afternoon and then in the cup final, which Halliwell Rovers won 2-1.“In four Hospital Cup games, including the final, I scored 12 goals, although I didn’t have a good game in the final.”
Hayes then went to join for Burnley and was playing in their reserve team against Bolton when he was involved in a tackle with Wanderers man Bob Matthewson which damaged the cruciate ligaments in his leg. Whether that injury prevented him from playing at the highest level of the game, no one will ever know. In those days, football was a man’s game and Hayes decided to get on with it.
He plied his trade as a goalscorer at Morecambe before moving to Fleetwood, during which time he trained at Bolton Wanderers with the permission of then manager Bill Ridding, and Darwen. He stopped playing while he was at Bacup Borough at the age of 31, partly due to his commitment as works manager at Hawker Siddeley in Farnworth.
“I couldn’t get enough time off to train, I had worked my way up in the aircraft industry and I had a good career which I don’t regret one little bit. But as a referee, I did not need to train as much. Nowadays, you couldn’t do it like I did it then, you’ve got to start refereeing in your teens.”
Hayes got a good look at the game at its highest level as a referee. “I was involved in a game in which Stoke City were top of the league, they hadn’t been beaten, and they were playing Newcastle. I was the linesman and Newcastle beat them. I couldn’t do Manchester United, because it was too close to where I live. But I did matches involving Liverpool, Everton, Wolves and West Brom.”
His refereeing career was also to bring him back into contact with ex-player Matthewson, who had also converted into a referee. “Three of us went to officiate the UEFA Cup tie between Moscow Torpedo and Napoli in 1972, when the Soviets were preparing to host the Olympics in 1980. They knew that I worked in the aircraft industry and I was detained for quite a while at the Moscow airport before they would let me in.”
Hayes was 42 when he retired as a referee, but not before he had successfully completed an F.A. coaching badge. The coaching certificate was something he put to good use as a volunteer for seven years at St. Andrew’s C of E School, Over Hulton, where his grandson, Ben, was a pupil. Meanwhile, he has always had an extra-curricular interest in motor sport as a photographer and reporter and is a regular visitor to the Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire and is a keen follower of the fortunes of racers from Bolton.
Ten days later he was in the same paper again
19th February 2009 A former Football League referee and non-league player has claimed there is a lack of interest and effort in primary school football across Bolton. Norman Hayes, aged 75, who refereed at the highest level of the game in the 1960s and early 1970s, was a volunteer coach at St. Andrew’s C of E School, Over Hulton, until November last year when illness forced him to quit. The qualified F.A. coach helped train youngsters for seven years at the school his grandson, Ben, attended.
But Mr. Hayes, who has lived in the Over Hulton area all his life, said that while St. Andrew’s would fulfil their fixtures, there would be other schools which could not because matches had to be surpervised by teachers, who were unable to attend.
“There is a lack of effort being put into school football, in my experience. Some of the teachers just weren’t bothered, not interested at all. We played most of our matches, but other teams would only play one or two out of a dozen because it was extra-curricular. It really annoys me. That’s how football is run at school level. It’s not chaos, it’s non-existent, there is a culture among people working in primary education in Bolton that leads to a complete disinterest in football. Matches wouldn’t take place when kids wanted to play, but schools were not organised to deal with it. It’s scandalous. The saddest thing really is that there is a lack of leadership and enthusiasm.”
Headteacher of St. Andrew’s, Mrs. Liz Rogerson, said the school had a lot of out of class activities that its staff are involved in, including a choir and newspaper club. She said the school had been awarded Activemark status by Sport England for 2007 and 2008, and is linked to St. James Secondary School in Farnworth as part of the School Sports Co-ordinator initiative. She said “We try to make provision for all our children, from reception right the way through to Year Six to take part in a variety of activities, football for infants and juniors, which is often run by an outside provider, judo for many years, we’ve got fencing at the moment and we’ve had rugby courses. We take part in indoor athletics and have done for the last two to three years and I will be taking the athletics team during half-term. The children take part in swimming galas and we take them away for outdoor adventure weekends, so we do an enormous amount.”
A spokeswoman for Bolton Council said football was very much alive and well in Bolton primary schools and is an integral part of pupils physical activity. She said “Primary schools have a much broader range of activities these days. Last year, across both primary and secondary schools, we saw 90 per cent of all children participating in at least two hours of P.E. within and beyond the curriculum, an increase of 11 per cent compared to two years previously. However, football has always been, and remains, a core sport, and we recognise the need for a stable competition framework to encourage participation and progression in the sport. The council recently appointed a schools competition manager who is working as part of a Bolton primary school football development group to develop the primary football league structure.”
11
« on: Mon 22 May 2023 21:55 »
Terry Bosi (Codsall) works as a sales representative for a plywood importer in the Midlands, Married, with a son, he took up refereeing after injury ended his playing career. Graduated through the Wolverhampton Amateur and Works Leagues, the Worcester Combination and West Midland League. Promoted to the League line in 1967 and the full Referees list in 1971 . On the line for a European Cup tie, Ajax v Hamburg in 1969 and in 1972 the F.A. Challenge Trophy at Wembley. A keen cricketer, he also plays bowls, table tennis and swims. During his playing career he played in the F.A. Amateur Cup and at centre half for Bomber Command during his National Service.
THE ITALIAN CONNECTION by Sandra Irene Harris (nee Bosi) Terry's sister
Published 16 February 2009, updated 26 August 2009
siharris1@icloud.com
INTRODUCTION I was born in Wolverhampton in 1940, the daughter of an English mother, Kate Portsmouth (born 1907), and an Italian father (though by then, naturalised British), Bruno Bosi (born 1907). I have an older brother, Tertence Peter Bosi, born in Wolverhampton in 1933. Our father was a confectioner who owned a confectioner’s shop selling sweets, chocolates, homemade Italian ice cream and cigarettes. His father, Emilio Pietro Bosi (born 1876) had come to Britain as an economic immigrant towards the end of the 19th century, when he was just a boy. We knew nothing of the history, only that he came from Barga in Tuscany and sold plaster statues door to door, to make a living.
Emilio Pietro obviously prospered here in the U.K. because, eventually, he became a confectioner, owning his own shops. He married Irena Motroni from Barga, but we do not know where they married. They lived in Wolverhampton and raised three sons, Paris, Italo and my father, Bruno. Paris and Italo were both born in Wolverhampton, but due to difficult confinements with the first two children (probably due to the language barrier, as Irena spoke very little English), she went back to Barga for my father’s birth. She returned to Wolverhampton with Bruno when he was only 6 months old. Sadly, he was never to return to his birthplace, although he did see service with the British Army in Italy in 1944.
The Bosi family became naturalised as British citizens in January 1921 and continued to prosper in Wolverhampton in the pre-war years. My grandfather, Emilio Pietro, became quite the man about town, mixing in business circles and playing crown green bowls for the Molineux club as well as for Staffordshire. In 1936, he won a national medal, whilst playing for Staffordshire against Yorkshire in the British crown green bowling national championship. My father, Bruno, left school and went straight into the business and was eventually set up with his own shop in Whitmore Reans, a suburb of Wolverhampton.
Bruno married my mother, Kate Portsmouth on 24th April 1930, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Wolverhampton. My brother Terry was born on 28th February 1933 and I was born on 24th February 1940. At the outbreak of war in 1939, Emilio Pietro’s business was at its peak when he owned four confectionary shops and three other properties. However, during the war years the businesses declined. Emilio Pietro died of a heart attack in December 1951. In 1940 my parents moved to Oxley in Wolverhampton and opened a confectionery shop, which my father owned until his retirement in 1971, apart from his absence on military service during World War Two. My mother, Kate, and my grandfather Emilio Pietro managed the business during those years. My father also became a crown green bowls champion, playing for Wolverhampton and winning trophies and died of a heart attack whilst playing in April 1986.
THE SEARCH Although Terry and I knew little about our Italian roots, we became intrigued when Aunt Irma Bosi, nee Tazioli, former wife of Uncle Paris Bosi, who was my father’s eldest brother, sent me a postcard of the main church in Barga. Irma told us that, as a child, she had attended our father’s christening there, which increasingly intrigued us over the years and so, eventually, we had a starting point from which to research our roots. But sadly, my father died before we were able to even think about visiting Italy and researching our family.
My husband, Graham Peter Harris, and I had an opportunity to spend a holiday in Barga, in the summer of 1991. We searched the churchyard, and asked around locally, but could not find any trace of the Bosi name. We did not speak Italian at the time and this made our search more difficult.
In 2005, Graham and I, together with my brother, Terry and his wife Mavis, nee Kirkham, went on a holiday ‘Tour of Tuscany’, which was based at La Pergola Hotel in Barga. Again, we found no direct Bosi connection, although I had now started to learn Italian but only had a basic knowledge of the language. The holiday was a great success and served to whet our appetites for finding a family link.
We arranged a third visit to Barga in the summer of 2006, when Graham and I met our eldest daughter, Julie Harris and her partner, Lance Thompson, in Pisa. We hired a car, drove up to Barga and spent a whole week exploring the mountain paths and researching family roots. By now, my grasp of Italian was improving, so we had the confidence to visit the priest at the church in Barga and view the christening records. Though communication was difficult, the priest invited us into his record room, which held records going back many hundreds of years. Again, we were disappointed not to find my father’s and grandfather’s records. Then, our first real breakthrough came when the priest informed us that there were no Bosi families in the little hilltop township of Barga. They were to be found just down the hill in the surrounding villages, which were still within the boundaries of the administrative area of the Barga Commune. It seemed that Aunt Irma might have remembered the wrong church.
However, whilst in Barga, we did trace the former home and the last resting place of my Aunt Irma’s sister, Anna-Rosa Vernolini (nee Tazioli), i.e. on my grandmother’s side of the family. Sadly, Anna-Rosa had passed away in October 2004, so she had been living in this house during our first two visits to Barga, but we had failed to find her, because we did not know of any links to that side of the family.
On the advice of the priest we searched the nearby churchyard at Loppia, just a mile or so down the hill from Barga where we found the graves of many Bosi families. Alas, the church was locked and we could not find its priest. As we had no names of my ancestors, we photographed the Bosi graves for future reference.
Back at the hotel, we were relating our story to an American woman, who was also on a genealogical quest. She was able to direct us to the township of Coreglia Antelminelli, the next hilltop town just a few miles down the Serchio Valley which has a museum “Museo della Figurina di Gesso e del’Emigrazione” which was dedicated to the economic migrants who left the valley to make and sell plaster cast statues. We had found the key to understanding my grandfather’s story.
We visited the museum at Coreglia Antelminelli the next day and were able to establish the history of the migration around the turn of the 19th century. In medieval times, the Italian Peninsular was covered by a patchwork of city states, including Venice, Florence, Lucca, Rome, and Sienna, etc. Outlying towns, such as Barga and Coreglia Antelminelli, pledged allegiance to one or other of these city states, in return for which they were empowered to raise local taxes in the form of road tolls for travellers and goods passing through their territory. Such towns, which would otherwise have depended upon subsistence farming on marginal land up in the valleys, were financially supported by these taxes. However when modern Italy was formed in 1871, the city states were subsumed and their laws and regulations became defunct. Hence the little towns lost their tax income overnight and were driven into poverty.
One very special skill that existed in the 19th century, in the Serchio Valley, was that of making plaster cast statues from hand carved wooden moulds. This had originated for the purpose of making religious statues for churches, known as “Figurine” and “Figurinai”. So, the master craftsmen were sent out, with teams of very young boys, to make and sell these statues and return money to the valley. Initially, they walked through Italy as peddlers, selling from town to town, but soon they were over the Alps and selling across Europe. Eventually, mostly via the port of Genoa, they spread out across the world, settling in the U.K., U.S.A., South America, Australia and even China. The migration into the U.K. was mainly into Scotland, possibly because the Transatlantic ships called in at Greenock, en route for New York. Even now there are still strong cultural links between Barga and many parts of Scotland, particularly Ayrshire and Glasgow.
So we had an important clue as to why Emilio Pietro had left Barga, as a boy, selling statues. Sadly, we now realised the significance of the two plaster statues of a shepherd and shepherdess, which had graced our parents’ lounge for many years, without an explanation by our parents, which had now long been discarded.
Whilst in Coreglia, we also visited the cemetery, and again found many Bosi graves, but still no priest to question. Again, we photographed these graves for future reference, but Lance observed that one or two of them looked recently tended. He suggested that we compose a short introductory note in Italian, and leave a copy on the best-tended graves. That evening armed with my trusty dictionary, I composed the following note (in Italian) and inserted copies into three waterproof bags: "Perhaps I am related to your family?, my name is Sandra Harris (nee Bosi), English. My father, Bruno Bosi, was born in Barga 27.02.1907. My grandfather, Emilio Pietro Bosi, was born in Bargl 25.09.1876. His parents were Antonio and Paolina Bernardini Bosi. It would please me if you would write to Mrs. Sandra Harris, (contact details supplied). It would be nice to hear from you. Excuse my Italian.
With no great expectation of success, we left two of these notes on graves in Loppia and one in Coreglia Antelminelli, but went home happy to have discovered the story of the emigration.
SUCCESS Shortly after our return home, we received a letter from a woman in Lucca saying that she had found our note, but didn’t believe that we were related as all her relatives had now died. I replied and thanked her anyway, pleased to have received a response. Meanwhile, our interest in genealogy had led Graham to create the Harris family tree, which was published on a website This generated an e-mail contact from Duncan Ward, a long lost nephew of Graham’s, who was also researching family roots. Duncan was able to provide us with a lot of information on Graham’s side of the family, but he had also made contact with the Vernolini family in Dunfermline, to whom I was related via the Motroni’s (on my grandmother’s side of our family).
My father had always told us that he had a cousin named Umberto Vernolini in Dunfermline, with whom he had lost touch. On one occasion more than 40 years ago, whilst touring Scotland by car with my Mum and Dad, we had detoured into Dunfermline to try to find them, without success. Now we made contact via e-mail, using the data provided by Duncan, with Umberto’s two sons Umberto ("Bert") and Frank and their wives, Isobel and Evelyn. Family details and photos were exchanged and agreement reached to meet, when an opportunity arose.
In July 2007, we went to Fife with my brother Terry and his wife Mavis, for a birthday party at the home of Julie and Lance. Afterwards, on our way home, we set up a rendezvous with Terry, Mavis, Julie and Lance and met the Vernolini's at North Queensferry, by the Forth bridge. We had a very pleasant lunch and exchanged more photos and data. This was our first major step in the search for surviving relatives from the Italian side of my family.
Several months later, we received a telephone call from Francesca, in Italian, but it was too much for me to follow. A couple of days later, she called again, but this time using the translation services of a young neighbour Roberta, who was fluent in English. It transpired that Francesca’s grandfather, Giovanni Bosi, was the brother of my grandfather, Emilio Pietro Bosi, so we were second cousins. She had found our note on her parents grave, Giovanni and his wife Eletta Chiappa, which was also the grave of her father, Adelsone Bosi. Therefore, the note that we left on this grave had finally located our relatives in the Serchio Valley.
We exchanged letters and family information and photos with Francesca and it transpired that Giovanni and Eletta had 9 children, all of whom had survived, so the potential for living relatives was huge. We drew up the tree of our long lost relatives, but there were still huge gaps. After exchanging several letters with Francesca, we planned a further trip to Barga in 2008, so that we could meet up and and so had Sunday lunch together on 22nd June 2008.
My brother Terry and his wife Mavis could not travel with us on this trip, as Mavis was recovering from major heart surgery. Graham and I met Julie and Lance in Pisa, hired a car and drove up the Serchio Valley to stay at La Pergola Hotel for another week. However, we had no idea at this point that we were about to experience a huge family reunion.
THE REUNION On arrival at La Pergola Hotel on the evening of 18th June, an elderly Italian couple were waiting in reception and introduced themselves as Bosi’s. It transpired that they were Francesca’s brother Antonio and his wife Emilia, nee Borgia. They lived in the village of Silano, at the very top of the valley, and as they could not make it to lunch on Sunday, had come down to meet us and invite us back to their home for a meal. We set up a table outside under the grapevines and spent a happy couple of hours exchanging family information, but even with help from the hotel staff, this stretched my limited language skills to their limits. However, Graham and Antonio seemed able to converse using mime and sign language and we all had a lot of fun. We finally agreed to visit Antonio and Emilia at their home for lunch on Monday. Emilia promised to cook us some wild boar, so we had something new to look forward to.
On the Friday morning, Roberta, the English translator, phoned me to ask if Francesca and her family could come to see us at our hotel on the Saturday afternoon. Again, we set up a drinks table outside under the grapevines and at 4p.m., Francesca arrived with her husband Mario Venturi, their daughter Daniela and her daughter, Davina. They also brought their friend and neighbour, Roberta Sheldon, the translator.
We were all immediately struck by the similarity of facial looks, expressions and mannerisms of Francesca’s daughter Daniela Venturi, with those of my own younger daughter Mandy Thomas (nee Harris). We were also surprised to learn that Francesca’s grandfather, Giovanni had come to England with his brother Emilio Pietro (my grandfather), but Giovanni had returned to the valley soon after. They also told us that the family home at the turn of the 19th century had been in the hamlet of Pedona, midway between Barga and Coreglia Antelminelli. We enjoyed a very pleasant couple of hours swapping information.
Mario bought a bottle of bubbly with which we toasted the Bosi family and then invited us to join them back in Coreglia Antelminelli for a pizza supper at a nearby restaurant. We visited their old family house in Coreglia Antelminelli, which they maintain as a holiday home, as they now live on the northern side of the mountains in Reggio Emilia. Here we met Daniela’s partner, Guido. Above the doorway were the remains of a small coat of arms, which they told was that of their family.
We then walked to the restaurant and enjoyed a lovely evening, with Mario introducing us to various Italian delicacies, whilst trying to watch a European Cup match on television out of the corner of his eye. They walked us back to the car park and showed us the rendezvous point for our lunch appointment at noon the next day. As we left, Mario hinted that Sunday lunch promised to be a rather large party and this was the first inkling that we had regarding a bigger family reunion.
On Sunday morning, we set off early for our lunch appointment and visited the hamlet of Pedona en route. We found a sleepy little village, again with a locked church and no priest to question. The only couple that we could find knew of no Bosi resident there. This task to find Emilio Pietro’s house will have to wait until another visit. Having motored back up to Coreglia Antelminelli we parked and went to the rendezvous point a little ahead of time. There was one man sitting there, who looked a little like my grandfather, with his high forehead and bushy moustache, so I immediately engaged him in conversation, but it transpired that he was not related, but we enjoyed trying to converse.
Mario and Francesca arrived with the Venturi family together with a crowd of other people and a series of introductions began with hugs and kisses being freely given. Francesca’s eldest brother Gianfrancoi appeared to lead the family and he was almost speechless with emotion. We met Gianfranco’s children, Stephano, Emiliana and Barbara. Barbara was with her husband Andrea who, with a degree in English, was most helpful in translating the conversations. Francesca’s son Daniele Venturi was also present. From Pietro Guido’s family we met Elvira D’Alfonso, nee Bosi, with her daughter Betty D’Alfonso. From Ottavia Mazzoti’s family, we met Mauro Mazzoti, and her daughters Alder Togneri, nee Mazzoti and Anna Corradini, nee Mazzoti. From Ultimato’s family we met Valerio Bosi and his wife Tizania, nee Gonella, Valerio’s brother Alberto Bosi and his wife Manuela, nee Biagioni.
What can only be described as a fantastic banquet then began, and went on for the whole afternoon, with countless courses being served. Late in the afternoon, we were honoured by the arrival of the last surviving offspring of Giovanni Bosi and Eletta Chiappa, when Ottavia arrived. She was a charming old lady of 94 and seemed genuinely pleased to meet us, with more hugs and kisses, and to see our photos of her long lost Uncle Emilio Pietro. Mario Venturi, Francesca’s husband, proposed a toast to the Bosi family and Graham managed a short speech to thank all these relatives for coming to meet us, promising to return again with Terry and Mavis Bosi when this was feasible. Once again, Roberta Sheldon was there to assist with the translation.
Before leaving, we tried to get Francesca and Mario to agree to visit us in England, but she said that she was scared of flying, so we told them to come by train. Julie and Lance made similar offers to entertain some of the younger members of the family at their cottage in Fife, Scotland. We hope that some of this will happen. Finally, Valerio Bosi asked if he could come and see us in our hotel in Barga before we went home, as he had some old family photos to show us. A meeting was set for Tuesday evening. We then said our goodbyes and returned to Barga, having experienced an unforgettable day. I felt like a long lost daughter returning to the fold, rather than a distant cousin whom no one had heard of.
THE WILD BOAR EXPERIENCE On Monday morning, Graham, Julie, Lance and I (plus dictionary) set off to drive up the valley to meet Antonio Bosi and Emilia Borgia Bosi, at their home in Silano, with very little idea of where they actually lived. Our plan was to find the village and then ask around. The drive up the Serchio Valley was magnificent, although the one way system in the town of Castelnuovo was a nightmare, which managed to tie Lance’s Sat Nav up in knots. We passed a series of picture post- ard villages, and then as we approached Silano, which is the very last village before the top of the ridge, we saw Antonio and Emilia standing at the roadside waiting for us, outside their house. We were made very welcome and given a conducted tour of the house, which was like a Swiss chalet. Inside, the living room was full of trophies, including a couple of wil -boar heads, at which point we began to realise that hunting was an important part of Antonio’s life. In fact, he and his friends had been the regional champion wild boar hunters for the last two years – not bad at 72 years of age.
We chatted about family; they had five children, Cinzia, Katia, Ricardo, Alberto and Monia. We were shown their photographs, together with their five grandchildren. We took copies by photographing their photos and did the same thing with a print of the Bosi coat of arms, which was hanging in their hall. Without the help of translators, all this proved somewhat slow, but very enjoyable. Emilia then called us to the dining table and proceeded to serve up yet another generous banquet. Poor Lance was driving, so he had to concentrate on double helpings of food!
After lunch Antonio took us a beautiful ride to the top of the valley, which was about ten minutes drive from their home. Here the ridge represented the border between the provinces of Lucca and Reggio Emilia. We returned to the house for coffee and tried to get Antonio and Emilia to agree to visit us in the U.K. It was clear that they had no aspiration to travel and that they were very cosy in their mountain retreat. Besides, as Antonio said, he could never leave his hunting dogs. They, in turn, invited us to go back and stay with them, whenever we had the chance. We motored back to Barga after another fantastic day.
DOCUMENT SEARCH On Tuesday 24th June, we visited the Barga "Registry Office" seeking copies of any Bosi family birth or marriage documents and hoped that my improving language skills would help us to succeed. We were pleasantly surprised to find one member of staff spoke fluent English. They were able to find and copy Emilio Pietro Bosi’s birth certificate and his brother, Giovanni Bosi and Eletta Chiappa’s wedding certificate. They had no access to any earlier records, but suggested that we contact the priest down at his presbytery adjacent to the new church in Fornaci di Barga from where he covers the churches of Loppia, Pedona and Fornaci di Barga. As there was no time left on this trip to follow up on this important lead, we have to put it on hold until our next trip,hopefully in 2009.
That evening, we met with Valerio Bosi and his wife Tizania at our hotel. Valerio came armed with many photo's, from which it became clear that he was a football fan, who took great pride in the Italian team. Although they spoke very little English, we had by now developed the skills required to communicate. Valerio showed us a photo of himself in a local team, whose strip was red and white stripes, “like Sunderland”. We then told him that Lance was from Newcastle, to which he replied “Alan Shearer”.
Valerio’s old photos included one of his father, Ultimato, wearing Italian military uniform in 1942, plus one of his grandfather, Giovanni, in uniform during the Italian invasion of Albania in WWI. He helped us to complete the family tree under Ultimato’s leg of the family and we exchanged addresses so that we could send photographs from this visit. It transpired that they live just a few kilometres below Fornacia de Barga, very close to the Pedona turn off, so there are still members of the Bosi family living very near to where we believe Emilio Pietro began his emigration. We said our goodbyes to the last members of the family, again asking them to come and visit us in the U.K. and promising to meet again when Terry and Mavis were ready to travel.
On Wednesday, the last night of our holiday, the four of us held a celebratory dinner at our favourite restaurant in the old town of Barga and hoped to be back there again very soon. On reflection, Graham, Julie, Lance and I agreed that we could not have hoped for a more successful visit. It had been an unforgettable experience, which the four of us had been privileged to share.
MANY THANKS BOSI FAMILY Since this last visit, we have been able to keep in touch with Francesca, Valerio and Stephano by e-mail, and with Antonio and Emilia by post. We have exchanged photos of the visit and eagerly await the opportunity to re-visit our long lost relations.
THE ITALIAN CONNECTION - PART 2
TERRY’S ITALIAN REUNION, JUNE 2009
INTRODUCTION After our successful visit of 2008, we simply had to return to the Serchio Valley in the spring of 2009, to introduce my brother Terry to all of his long lost Bosi relatives. This trip was made possible because Mavis, Terry’s wife, was now fit to travel again. Prior to travelling, we had advised our cousins, Valerio Bosi, Stefano Bosi, Antonio Bosi and Francesca Venturi of our trip, and we were all looking forward to meeting the new family members again. Firstly, we planned our trip to give us 4 days in Levanto, in Liguria, on the Italian Riviera, followed by 7 days in Barga. We flew from Luton to Pisa, thereafter using a hire car in Italy.
FIVE LANDS – 30th May Whilst staying in Levanto, we made trips by train to three of the famous “Cinque Terra” towns, namely Vernazza, Monterosso and Manarola (the other two were Corniglia and Riomaggiore) all of which were delightful. We also made a trip by car to Portovenere, which must be the most beautiful resort in the Mediterranean. Then, after four days of rest and relaxation, with lots of sun, good food and wine, we set off for another Barga adventure with our batteries fully recharged.
RETURN TO BARGA – 4th June On the Thursday, we left Levanto, heading for Barga, but did a detour via Aulla, and Fivizzano to find the Castle at Verrucola, which, according to the internet, was occupied by the Bosi’s from around 11th to 13th centuries. For such an ancient building, we expected to find the usual pile of bricks. However, Terry and I were quite overwhelmed to find a superb building in such an excellent state of repair with our family name attached to it. Unfortunately we could not get into the castle, as it was only open on Friday afternoons, by appointment, and this was Thursday. After much posturing by the "Count and Countess of Bosi" we tried to get into the nearby Villa La Pescigola, which is famous for its gardens and was also a former Bosi residence c1100. However it was not yet open for the summer, and a large guard dog soon saw us off. Perhaps another time?
Due to bad weather in the mountains, we decided to go back down to the autostrada to drive the long way round to Barga. On our way up the Serchio Valley, we stopped at Pedona, which is the hamlet were we believe that our grandfather, Emilio Pietro Bosi, and his brother, Giovanni – Francesca’s grandfather, had lived as boys. Then further on, on our way up the mountain road, we stopped off at Loppia Cemetery, to show Terry and Mavis, the first Bosi graves that we had found in 2007. Finally, we arrived in Barga and were made very welcome again by the staff at La Pergola Hotel, where we dined at their refurbished and much improved restaurant. On Friday we spent leisurely around Barga and Mavis surprised us all by walking very confidently up and down the hilly streets in the beautiful mediaeval town. Before we left the hotel, we received a telephone call from Roberta Sheldon, confirming that Francesca and Mario, who now live in Reggio-Emilia, would join us for Sunday lunch, but unfortunately, Daniela was unable to travel because she had chicken pox. Later in the afternoon, at our hotel who should arrive to see us but Valerio & Tiziano. Introductions were made and I was kept busy with my dictionary. Valerio and Tiziana then invited us to join them for dinner at their home in Ghivizzano, on Wednesday evening. This was ideal, as it would be our last night in Italy. We went into dinner at La Pergola Restaurant when, halfway through our meal, Antonio (Francesca’s middle brother) arrived. He invited us to join Emilia and himself lunch at their home in Silano, an hour’s drive up the mountain, on Monday. What a wonderful, enjoyable, hectic evening we had – my dictionary was working overtime.
LIVORNO REUNION – 6th June On Saturday – 6th June, we travelled by car to Livorno, for our pre-arranged lunch date with Gianfranco Bosi’s family (son Stefano, daughter Emiliana, and daughter Barbara and her husband Andreas). Graham was delighted with our trusty Sat Nav that took us right across the city, to within ten yards of our destination, which was at Barbara and Andreas’s flat in Via Danesi. Gianfranco and the rest of the family joined us, and after a warm welcome and exclamations of how alike Gianfranco and Terry were, we went by car to the sea front and strolled along the beautiful promenade. After our walk, we went by car along the sea front to the southern edge of the town, where we lunched in the famous Ristorante Sassoscrito sea food restaurant, which was situated on the cliff tops and has with fantastic sea views. We enjoyed an excellent meal and much conversation - in English this time, thanks to an excellent translation service from Andreas. Finally, to complete our visit to Livorno, the Bosi family took us up the mountain behind the city, to visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Montenero, where Barbara and Andreas had been married. The church was hung with mementos of countless miracles, which had been attributed to the Madonna, the patron saint of Tuscany. Gianfranco and the family said that we would be very welcome to visit them anytime we came back to Tuscany. We returned to Barga in a thunderstorm and, after such a wonderful meal could only manage one large pizza to share between the four of us in the restaurant.
BARGA REUNION – 7th June On Sunday, we entertained Francesca (nee Bosi) & Mario Venturi and granddaughter Davina to lunch at our hotel. Roberta Sheldon (and her daughter Martina) joined us to assist with the translating. They were all delighted to see us again and so pleased to meet Terry and Mavis. After introductions we enjoyed a lovely five course meal. This was finished off with a couple of bottles of Asti Spumante, but Mario was red carded by Terry for shooting a cork across the restaurant. After lunch, Francesco asked if we would like to take a short trip down towards Loppia to meet another cousin, Anna. She is the daughter of Lina Bosi and lives in a huge house with spectacular mountain views. She has two sons, but they live and work away as mountain guides and only visit her occasionally. Anna was an amazingly sprightly 83 year old, who made us very welcome. Mario then invited us back to their holiday home in Coreglia Antelminelli and then onto a nearby Pizzeria for supper. Terry and Mavis enjoyed seeing the old house, which had belonged to Francesca’s mother, and still bore the coat of arms of the Antognelli family. We then followed Mario up a winding mountain road until it petered out almost at the top of the ridge, where we found La Pizzeria at about the same altitude as Mount Snowdon. We decided not to return to Barga via the unsurfaced road which contoured the ridge, choosing instead to go the long way round by dropping down into the Serchio valley and climbing back up via the main roads. Our Fiat limo was definitely not built for mountain roads.
SILANO REUNION – 8th June On Monday we set off in the car to the town of Castelnuovo (or Newcastle as we call it), en route to Silano to our lunch appointment with Antonio and Emilia. On our arrival, Antonio and Emilia were out on the road to greet us before we could even get out of the car. Emilia then treated us to one of her spectacular lunches. Emilia was disappointed that Lance was not with us, as she needs someone to mother. We began to discuss the Bosi family tree and photographs were compared all round. Although Antonio and Emilia did not speak English, between Antonio’s excellent hand gestures, Sandra’s Italian, Emilia’s clear, slow Italian, a good dictionary and the digital translator, we all managed. At last, it was time to leave. We drove up to the top of the ridge, which forms the provincial border between Reggio Emilia and Lucca and said our goodbyes in stunning mountain scenery.
CHURCHYARD & MUSEUM – 9th June On Tuesday, we went back up to the village of Coreglia Antelminelli and stopped off at the cemetery there to visit the grave of Francesca’s grandparents and father (Giovanni & Eletta Bosi and Adelsone Bosi). This was where I had left the letter in 2007, which led to us finally locating the family. We found at least another twenty Bosi graves here, so it was very fortunate indeed that I had chosen the correct one on which to leave the message. I decided it was fate.
The Figurine Museum was our next port of call, where the surprising extent of the emigration from the Serchio Valley could be seen. The Museum had been extended since our first visit and now included a workshop, showing how the alabaster figures were made in various types of moulds. Much to my surprise there was a shepherd and a shepherdess, just like the two figures my parents had always had beside the fireplace in our family home. Unfortunately, I had never been told of their significance within the family as my father did not know much about his family history, and so the figures were discarded when the family house was sold. Then, in the church of San Michele Arcangelo, we were very surprised to notice that a fairly new looking statue of a Franciscan Monk was dedicated to an Alberto Bosi, but for the present, we cannot tie him in to the family tree. Another puzzle to be solved.
GHIVIZZANO REUNION – 10th June On the Wednesday morning, we drove up the somewhat precarious road to Sommacolonia, the village that overlooks Barga. We had walked to this village from Barga with Julie and Lance, one hot day last year, and the views of the Serchio Valley from the terrace there were spectacular. Mavis and I enjoyed the view while Terry and Graham climbed up to see the remains of the German gun emplacement above the church. It looked to be virtually impregnable and reminded us that the battle to liberate Italy was a very hard one. We looked around the church, which was beautifully kept and quite big for such a small village. There were no cafes or shops. Then, back to Barga and off for our last meeting with the family, the "Grand Finale Dinner" at Valerio & Tiziana’s house down in Ghivizzano. It was a delightful surprise to find that Valerio had invited his brothers and their families (Alberto & Manuela Bosi, together with Nedo & Alessandra Bosi and their sons Alessandro and Alessio) to join us for dinner. This made the translation task very much easier, as both of the boys spoke English. We settled down to another fantastic meal, After dinner, family photographs were viewed, including several from Terry’s career as a referee, and lots of Valerio’s long distance running events, especially the London marathons 2007 and 2008. Graham presented Valerio with a Wolves shirt, to commemorate their promotion to the Premiership, whilst Terry nipped out to change into his Referee’s shirt. On his return he gave Valerio a yellow card, which he then upgraded to a red for dissent. The boys loved it, because, apparently, Valerio had something of a reputation for red cards, during his soccer career. After another memorable evening, we said our last good byes, and, after being asked to come back and visit everyone again another year, we returned to Barga for the last time.
MANY THANKS FAMILY BOSI So, once again, our Bosi relatives have made us so very welcome in Tuscany. We sincerely hope that some of them will be able to come and visit us in the U.K. as we had extended an open invitation. We eagerly await the opportunity to re-visit them again. This was a memorable holiday, enjoyed by us all, that’s me (Sandra), Graham, Mavis and Terry. Lots of love until we meet you all again.
12
« on: Mon 15 May 2023 09:56 »
Match Officials - Referee: Emily Heaslip (Bury St. Edmunds), Sr. Assistant Referee: Georgia Ball (Chesterfield), Jr. Assistant Referee: Chloe-Ann Small (Winchester), Fourth Official: Abigail Byrne (Bury St. Edmunds), Reserve Assistant Referee: Sophie Dennington (Aylesbury), V.A.R.: Michael Salisbury (Preston), Assistant V.A.R.: Sian Massey-Ellis (Coventry)
13
« on: Fri 12 May 2023 19:10 »
Both at Footes Lane, Guernsey, on the same day for the first time
Women 10.30 - Abby Georgia Dearden (Blackburn), Tom Nerac (Jersey), Geoff Ogier (Guernsey), Luke Pattimore (Guernsey) Tom Nerac late sub for brother Luke (injured) and Luke Pattimore late sub for Steve Hutchison (stranded in Jersey by ferry failure)
Men 15.00 - Darren Lee Handley (Bolton), Richard Dyer (Jersey), James Lihou (Guernsey), Derek Gilman (Guernsey)
14
« on: Thu 11 May 2023 12:43 »
Barry "The Cat" Breuilly aged 75
Goalkeeper with 20 Muratti caps 1966-81, the first whilst still U18
A brief spell at Fulham before homesickness brought him back to the Island
A policeman later noted for removing an unruly spectator from a Muratti
Also a referee he played for St. Ouen when they entertained Manchester United (Best, Law, Charlton et al) at Springfield in front of 11,112 on 30th November 1971
11,112 would gather at Springfield Stadium when the Red Devils, one of the world’s biggest football clubs, played an exhibition match against St. Ouen. They brought their stars, including the holy trinity of Charlton, Law and Best, while Jersey brought fans and onlookers in their droves. The attendance has never been close to being bettered. More than one in seven of Jersey’s population was there.
The match had been arranged by the president of St. Ouen, Charlie Bechelet, through his friendship with the Southampton manager Ted Bates, who, in turn, was good friends with United manager Frank O’Farrell. It was not uncommon back then for top football teams to bring their first team squad over for a friendly against one of the local sides. Just the week before, Hull City played First Tower United at Grouville in front of 300 fans.
But this was different. This was Manchester United. They carried the aura of being the biggest club in the land and had won the European Cup just three years previously. A squad containing three of the greatest players in the world. It just would not happen today. Nor will the Island ever expect to hold another sporting event of its kind that would attract so many. True, the Muratti Vase used to attract crowds of 5,000-6,000 but this was off the charts.
Playing that day, for some of the second half at least, was Jersey goalkeeper Barry Breuilly. The winner of what was then a record 20 Muratti caps for a goalkeeper and a former Fulham "A" player, Breuilly was a more than capable stopper, but the first thing he did after coming onto the field was to pick the ball out of the net, following a thunderbolt strike from Brian Kidd for his hat-trick which put United 4-0 up. Breuilly admitted that the score could well have been 40-0 if the United players wanted it to be, such was their overwhelming class.
Most of the fans were enthralled by George Best, who played the first half and got the biggest cheer of the night when he scored a header from close range. Covering the game that evening was the venerable Bill Custard, who reported: ‘It was all there, indelibly etched into the bright green turf, the artistry of the incomparable George Best, the dynamism of Denis Law, the cool control of Bobby Charlton and the thrusting power of Brian Kidd … all this was woven into a pattern of slick efficiency in which combination and fluid movement were supreme.’
Not that they had it all their own way, with St Ouen excited with a couple of early raids that led to Pat McLaughlin’s ‘splendid shot’ being well saved by Alex Stepney. United, meanwhile, were content to provide an exhibition of the talents, much to the excitement of the crowd. ‘The atmosphere was incredible. It was electric,’ remembers Breuilly. ‘They had temporary stands that enclosed the pitch and it made for one hell of an atmosphere. None of us expected that many people to be there.’
What is also hard to understand through modern eyes is that United made the trip in the middle of the season. On the Saturday prior to their appearance at Springfield, United registered a 5-2 win away at Southampton and the week would be bookended by a 3-2 home win over Nottingham Forest. United would then go on an 11 match run without a win, after being top of the table at Christmas.
Maybe the trip away was not the wisest choice for United’s title ambitions but Breuilly remembers that the St. Ouen players were asked to mind their tackles – a request not fully taken on board by Breuilly. ‘The players were hinted at not to do anything too reckless, and that did prevail during the game but I do remember tackling Charlton just outside the box and him glaring back down at me. But he’d been clattered by better people than me. ‘The St. Ouen players couldn’t believe it that they’d arranged for Manchester United to come. You won’t see that again. It’s still resonant in my mind.’
Naturally, the United players also made an impression on young Breuilly, who was 23 years old at the time. ‘Best showed real class while Charlton was an absolute gentleman, as always,’ he said. The players stayed at the Mermaid Hotel during their time in the Island and Breuilly even picked up Denis Law in his car from there to go to a party the night before the game. ‘He never drank. He wouldn’t have any alcohol. He just stood in the kitchen and had orange juice. I think Mr. Best may have imbibed a little bit more.’
The drinking would continue after the game, too, at a ‘buffet supper’ at the Mermaid for all the players and officials, giving the St. Ouen players and other lucky Islanders a chance to get to know their heroes a bit better. The great Sir Matt Busby, the architect of modern Manchester United, was in attendance. ‘They all mingled. We had photographs taken with them. I had one taken with Alex Stepney. It was an amazing experience. Obviously everyone flocked around George Best.’
The night before the match, more merriment could be found at the Hotel de France at a special function to welcome Manchester United as part of St. Ouen’s banquet that Custard described it as a ‘glittering occasion.’ Highlighting the differences in attitudes to today’s professionalism, he reported that after presentations and a cabaret, ‘the company adjourned to the ballroom to spend the remainder of the time – until 2 o’clock this morning – dancing.’
A copy of the menu, signed by all the players at the function, made its way to an eight year old Glenn Springate – sold to him for ten pence by his Leeds United-supporting cousin, who had inadvertently acquired the treasured artefact. Young Springate was at the game too and, while he does not remember too much of the game, he does remember it was the night he ‘fell in love with football’. ‘I was in awe,’ Springate says, five decades on. ‘George Best’s name was read on the tannoy and the whole place just erupted. ‘I remember I watched the game in the dark, standing in the back of my uncle’s pick up van. They allowed all these vans in around the back of the goal so people could get a better view of the game. As you can imagine, the match was a big talking point at school the next day.’
And it would still be a big talking point, 50 years later, about the time Manchester United – Best, Charlton, Law et al – came to Jersey to take on the not so mighty St. Ouen.
President Bechelet must have had quite a few friends in high places. The following season St. Ouen hosted Jock Stein’s Celtic side, which included Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy Johnstone and Bobby Murdoch, in front of a crowd of a mere 2,000 at Springfield. Another coup for the parish club’s players to be involved in, this time they were ruthlessly gunned down 11-1, despite the hosts boasting Southampton and England stars Terry Paine and Mick Channon as guests. But nothing would be more memorable than sharing the pitch with United’s illustrious stars.
15
« on: Wed 19 Apr 2023 11:30 »
Lancashire Telegraph
4th June 1998
Sporting Jim dies
Sporting gentleman Jim Warburton has died, aged 70, after a long illness.
Tyldesley born Jim was a Sale Lane United footballer in the 1940s and 50s before injury forced him to quit playing.
He started refereeing with the Leigh and District Association Football Referees Society and progressed through the Leigh and District S.S. League (now the Leigh Amateur League) through the Bolton Combination and Lancashire Combination to the Football League.
He officiated at many F.A. Cup and county matches and was an international linesman. But he never forgot his roots and when not involved at the highest level could be seen refereeing local league games. When he hung up his whistle his experience became invaluable as a referee assessor and he was always willing to offer advice to those starting out in the game.
His service earned him the Referees Association meritorious service award and the Lancashire F.A. order of merit. He was a life member of the Leigh Referees Society and Leigh Amateur League, having also served as League secretary.
A founder member of Atherton Sports Council Jim's interests covered a variety of sports.
Roy Birchall, president of Leigh and District Association Football Referees Society, paid tribute:"The district has lost one of its sporting gentleman and I a sporting colleague and friend. Long may his memory live on."
Grandfather Jim leaves a wife, Jean, and a daughter, Margaret. The funeral took place on Friday at Overdale.
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