John, aged 73, has been a familiar figure on parks pitches around the Black Country since he first took up the black cloth more than 50 years ago. It will be in November when John, from Oldbury, officially clocks up 50 years as a referee with Birmingham County FA, but his career started a year or so earlier.

"We used to have departmental matches at Ackers & Pollock where I worked and a friend of mine, George Edwards, was a referee." he said

"One day he asked me if I would referee a match he was playing in if he lent me his kit, so I did."

A season of departmental and works matches later and John decided to make his relationship with the whistle official, partly after his career as a centre forward had failed when he could not get into the Ackers works team.

His two sons, Paul and Terry, also tried refereeing, Paul reaching Southern League standard.

"In one Warley League match Paul was the referee, I was on one line, Terry was on the other and my grandson Jason was playing for one of the sides." John recalled.

Things have changed over the years though. He added: "It is not as enjoyable as it used to be. The attitude of players is worse and whatever decision you give, someone disagrees."

Although he did admit that things have been a bit better this year; "I don't know if it is respect for my age or they are better behaved."

Players were certainly not better behaved four years ago when John ended up in hospital with a black eye and three players found themselves with life bans. With echoes of Sheffield United against West Bromwich Albion: "I sent the goalkeeper off for foul and abusive language after about 15 minutes and by half time I had sent off two more players.

"In the second half I had to send another player off and the keeper came back on with two more players and attacked me.

"My sons wanted me to give up but I carried on."

His refereeing career was limited by work commitments, which made travel difficult and how far you could go refereeing depended to some extent on how far you could go geographically. But his career still had its highlights such as refereeing West Brom in a 'closed doors' friendly against a Spurs side that contained England star Martin Chivers, and Albion Youth against England Youth at The Hawthorns. He also refereed the youth team practice matches on Wednesday afternoons.

 

These days though he limits his activities to the Warley League on Sunday mornings with the occasional Sunday afternoon women's match, usually for Tipton Ladies, which he enjoys. "The ladies are a bit quieter," he admits.

But no one is safe from football fever as it continues to strike and another victim, John Loudon aged 67, has been in football for more than 50 years first as a player and since 1964 as a referee.

John, who works at a hotel in Southam, is thinking of retiring at the end of this season. But he admits he also thought about retiring at the end of last season and could well be thinking of retiring at the end of next season. He did seriously consider it once though.

"I thought I might have to give up ten years ago when I had a coronary artery by-pass operation at Walsgrave Hospital, I felt so good I just carried on."

If you are interested in becoming a referee, click here to find out how you can get involved...