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46
I Spy Old Refs! / Arnold Josephs
« on: Sun 15 May 2022 21:40 »
Fair price sought for referee memorabilia
The (Newcastle) Journal
14 Apr 2021
Tony Henderson
Football ruled the roost in a Tyneside family where five brothers were all referees. The Josephs family lived in South Shields, where Stan Mortensen has long been hailed as the top footballer to be produced by the town.
Now an auction has revived the memory of another largely forgotten son of South Shields who also reached the tip of the football tree – as a referee.
Teacher Arnold Josephs, the fourth of the five brothers, took charge of the 1926 Scotland v Ireland international at Celtic Park and in 1929 he was the referee for the F.A. Cup Final between Bolton and Portsmouth and the Scotland v England clash at Hampden Park.
On Thursday four programmes signed by Arnold – for games in which he officiated plus refereeing memorabilia will be sold by Newcastle auctioneers Anderson and Garland with an estimate of £500-£800. The games are Grimsby Town v Manchester City, September 4 1926; Huddersfield Town v Sheffield (Wednesday), February 12 1927; Leeds United v Birmingham City, May 4 1929; and Manchester United v Sheffield United, March 28 1931, all signed by Josephs. (they sold for £2,800 plus commission)
Arnold began his refereeing career at the age of 15. He was mistaken for one of his brothers who had failed to turn up to take charge of a game, and Arnold obliged. During the First World War he refereed matches in the Victory League and while serving in the Army he officiated at military games.
Arnold was a pupil at Westoe Secondary School in South Shields from 1903 to 1908. He taught at Barnes Elementary School in the town and then gained further teaching qualifications at training college in Sunderland. He joined Westoe Senior Elementary School in 1914 and in 1919, he moved to South Shields High School, where he taught geography and sport until retirement in 1956.
His sporting life outside school took off when in 1920 he gained his refereeing certificate from Durham Football Association, progressing to the Football Association referees list in 1926. He suffered a knee injury during a match between Ashington and Southport and had to retire. His last game was Leeds United v Derby on May 2, 1936. He continued his links with football by writing a column for a national newspaper and was president of the South Shields Referees Association for 25 years. He died in 1964, aged 93. (that should read 1984)
Football programmes and ephemera.
Sold for £2,800
Lot details
Football programmes and ephemera relating to Arnold Josephs, Professional Referee - The Football Association Referees' Chart, Season 1928-29; The List of Referees and Linesmen for April & May 1930; four programmes for matches refereed by Josephs - Grimsby Town v Manchester City, September 4th 1926, Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday, February 12th 1927, Leeds United v Birmingham City, May 4th 1929, and Manchester United v Sheffield United, March 28th 1931, all items signed by Josephs. (6)
NB: Arnold Josephs (1890-1983) was born in Poland and was the fourth of five brothers, all of whom became soccer referees. He was educated in South Shields and Sunderland and qualified as a secondary school teacher. By the 1950's he was Senior House Master of Chapman House School, but had been refereeing since the age of 15. He became an official Football Association Referee in 1926, first officiating at the Scotland v Ireland match, 22nd February. His most notable game was perhaps the Cup- Final between Bolton Wanderers v Portsmouth in 1929, and in the same year he conducted the England v Scotland International at Hampden Park. He retired from the professional game in 1936 due to a knee injury, but continued to write his "Knotty Soccer Problems" column in the Daily Express and acted as President of the South Shields Referees' Association for many years later. He died in Hull at the ripe old age of 93.
He died 9th January 1984 and was born in South Shields, son of a Jewish family from Poland.
The (Newcastle) Journal
14 Apr 2021
Tony Henderson
Football ruled the roost in a Tyneside family where five brothers were all referees. The Josephs family lived in South Shields, where Stan Mortensen has long been hailed as the top footballer to be produced by the town.
Now an auction has revived the memory of another largely forgotten son of South Shields who also reached the tip of the football tree – as a referee.
Teacher Arnold Josephs, the fourth of the five brothers, took charge of the 1926 Scotland v Ireland international at Celtic Park and in 1929 he was the referee for the F.A. Cup Final between Bolton and Portsmouth and the Scotland v England clash at Hampden Park.
On Thursday four programmes signed by Arnold – for games in which he officiated plus refereeing memorabilia will be sold by Newcastle auctioneers Anderson and Garland with an estimate of £500-£800. The games are Grimsby Town v Manchester City, September 4 1926; Huddersfield Town v Sheffield (Wednesday), February 12 1927; Leeds United v Birmingham City, May 4 1929; and Manchester United v Sheffield United, March 28 1931, all signed by Josephs. (they sold for £2,800 plus commission)
Arnold began his refereeing career at the age of 15. He was mistaken for one of his brothers who had failed to turn up to take charge of a game, and Arnold obliged. During the First World War he refereed matches in the Victory League and while serving in the Army he officiated at military games.
Arnold was a pupil at Westoe Secondary School in South Shields from 1903 to 1908. He taught at Barnes Elementary School in the town and then gained further teaching qualifications at training college in Sunderland. He joined Westoe Senior Elementary School in 1914 and in 1919, he moved to South Shields High School, where he taught geography and sport until retirement in 1956.
His sporting life outside school took off when in 1920 he gained his refereeing certificate from Durham Football Association, progressing to the Football Association referees list in 1926. He suffered a knee injury during a match between Ashington and Southport and had to retire. His last game was Leeds United v Derby on May 2, 1936. He continued his links with football by writing a column for a national newspaper and was president of the South Shields Referees Association for 25 years. He died in 1964, aged 93. (that should read 1984)
Football programmes and ephemera.
Sold for £2,800
Lot details
Football programmes and ephemera relating to Arnold Josephs, Professional Referee - The Football Association Referees' Chart, Season 1928-29; The List of Referees and Linesmen for April & May 1930; four programmes for matches refereed by Josephs - Grimsby Town v Manchester City, September 4th 1926, Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday, February 12th 1927, Leeds United v Birmingham City, May 4th 1929, and Manchester United v Sheffield United, March 28th 1931, all items signed by Josephs. (6)
NB: Arnold Josephs (1890-1983) was born in Poland and was the fourth of five brothers, all of whom became soccer referees. He was educated in South Shields and Sunderland and qualified as a secondary school teacher. By the 1950's he was Senior House Master of Chapman House School, but had been refereeing since the age of 15. He became an official Football Association Referee in 1926, first officiating at the Scotland v Ireland match, 22nd February. His most notable game was perhaps the Cup- Final between Bolton Wanderers v Portsmouth in 1929, and in the same year he conducted the England v Scotland International at Hampden Park. He retired from the professional game in 1936 due to a knee injury, but continued to write his "Knotty Soccer Problems" column in the Daily Express and acted as President of the South Shields Referees' Association for many years later. He died in Hull at the ripe old age of 93.
He died 9th January 1984 and was born in South Shields, son of a Jewish family from Poland.
