Football Referees' Risks.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7760, 11 March 1905, Page 2

Football Referees' Risks.

It is not only the player «M' footall who runs' risks, but the man who controls the game—he, too, is often in danger of disaster to life

* us well as to limb. So says Cas- ' sell's Saturday .Journal. Popular '- feeling (at the (great cup tie or League 0 matches frequently runs high ; it is L ' only a very experienced " and alert- - minded • official who can hold the 0 whistle and tho crowd in order at 5 the same time. But for a lucky case " of mistaken identity, Mr Arthur Kingscott, tho famous International referee of Derby, l would probably " have been away from his desk in the Y accountant's office at the Midland j Railway for several weeks. Ho was officiating at a match at Luton, at ' which "the ropes wore very light," " nnd was obliged (fo disallow four, goals to the local iteam. A storm ' threatened during the second half,! ; und when the match ended in n ga- ■ thering mist there was an uglj'rusir 1 to seize the poor "rcf." Xow, as it happened, one of the ■directors oil ! the home club bore a striking phy--1 sical resemblance to "Mr Kingscott. Mistaking the former for their quar- " ry, the crowd collared their own di- ' rector, while fho referee slipped oil! ; chuckling to the railway station. There are few more popular re-1 ferces in England Uinn "Mr John, ■ Lewis, of Blackburn, but on many! ■ occasions in the course of his car-1 eer he lias hail to give decisions which "have "fallen foul" of sonic of ! the spectators. He once held the whistle in a qup tic rtt which a: largo | portion of tho crowd was composed of soldiers just out on furlough af- ; tor, an arduous foreign campaign. I They were not averse lo a "little fun, T ' or something a trifle rooro serious. It so happened that the team they supported went down badly, and one of the eleven had to leave the field through some act of insubordinal ion. This set the heather < on fire. "Wait till time's called," was the ominous throti t from tho 1 ropes. When ,"thc whistle at length i blew there was n wild stampede to 1 get at Mr Lewis. Hut a serious disturbance and possible bloodshed 1 • ere averted by the timely appeal- < ance on the scene of the colonel of the regiment to which the infuriated 1 soldiers belonged. With a wave of < his hand he sent tho men oft tlio 1 field, I Mr Charles Crisp had a remarkable experience onco at Portsmouth, lprobably unique in the (lunnals of * Association football. He was stand- f ing near the mouth of tiro goal wait- l Ing for a corner to bs| kicked, when the ball came along and struck his « head, bounning into the goal. Of course, he had to disallow the point « whjc|i he himself had registered. An- h [ oilier famous referee onca hud his C whistle knocked clean out of his ° mouth by a deft pass to the wing '< There was a simultaneous appeal for u offside. Without a moment's hesitation the distinguished ofliciul put I two fingers into his mouth, and. like I on errand boy, blow a shrill blast.