Recensies
Twee keer geel is rood (Two yellows make a red) – John Blankenstein
Outline Twice I had the pleasure of meeting in person John Blankenstein, who passed away nine years ago, almost to the day. He was an insightful, empathic man, who chose his words carefully but managed to work some humour in there anyway. He carried this characteristic over into this small book, using this medium to […]
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Masterclass for Soccer Officials – Stanley Lover
Outline A former referee, FIFA referees instructor in all six football confederations and chairman of the London Referees Association, Stanley Lover enjoyed the respect of many throughout the latter part of the 20th century. Not least because he also authored many refereeing classics, including Soccer Match Control, an excellent book which not only explains the […]
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I’ll have a ref, thank you – by: Jan Vorstenbosch
This essay was published over two years ago (early 2013) in Dutch daily Trouw. The author is Jan Vorstenbosch, a philosopher and football expert. A researcher at the University of Utrecht, he also teaches ethics there. In 2010 he published “Voetbalgek”, his philosophical reflections on all things football. Jan reacted with great enthusiasm to my request […]
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Whose Side Are You On, Ref? – Norman Burtenshaw
Brief outline Not the best-known British referee from his time, Norman Burtenshaw still spent 11 years reffing at football’s top level and was awarded the 1971 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool. It shows he must have been quite capable after all. His memoirs mark him out as a rather strait-laced person, not atypical […]
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Play to the Whistle! – Jim Wiltshire
Outline Jim Wiltshire was the referee of the 1947 FA Cup Final. This appointment marked the end of a long career on the pitches of England, which career had been broken by World War II, as was the case for many in football at the time. Wiltshire’s account is interesting in that it started in […]
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The Referee’s a W*nker – Chris Turner
Brief outline A former professional player turned poet and song-writer, Chris Turner still frequents the stands at Southend United. The chants and rants he hears (and utters?) there have been the inspiration for a number of poems, one-liners and riddles/word puzzles, about 40 of which have been collected in this anthology, interspersed with plenty of […]
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How to Referee
If you’re reading this, chances are you are or at some point were an active referee. Have you ever stopped to think how easy it has been for you to become a ref? Regular courses, good instructors, mentors, plenty of books available, feedback at referees’ associations… You name it. Now imagine how that was in the […]
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Interview: Fox 40
This interview first appeared in a Dutch local referees’ magazine. It is reprinted here with permission. How long have you been making whistles? Who are the founders? Ron Foxcroft, Founder & C.E.O., Fox 40 International Inc. Ron Foxcroft, the man behind the first pealess whistle, was recently named by Referee Magazine as one of […]
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Interview: Simon Topman
This is the English translation of an interview which first appeared in a Dutch local referees’ magazine, which explains references to other articles. It is reprinted here with permission. As recounted in the article about the history of the referee whistle, the first one ever to be used in an official football match, was […]
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One more then
Thanks to Stephen from @collectfootball, I can now add a fourth language to my ever-growing collection of refereeing publications. This one is a booklet from 1947, printed in what was then still the USSR: Futbol: Pravila Igry It’s small, but isn’t it so that the greatest things come in small packages? Oh, it deals with the […]
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