George still laying down the law

"I'd played football long enough but didn't know anything about the rules, of course, " he recalls.

Invited to meet a Durham FA official in the upstairs room of the Golden Cock, he discussed football's finer points for half an hour, was told he'd passed - "they were short of men, most were at the war" - and on the way out was offered his first junior game, that Saturday.

Six years later he was refereeing at the top of the old first division - five guineas, expenses and a glass of whisky at half time - and on the line for the Football League v Scottish League match at Middlesbrough. The more immediate problem in 1943 was finding some half-decent kit.

"My wife said we weren't using our clothing coupons to buy referee's regalia. I'd a pair of old flannels which we cut off and dyed black and a chap at work, bit of a cyclist, gave me an old black alpaca jacket. That's how I rigged myself out for my first match." They paid him half a crown, and nowt for his bike. No whisky, but George Todd had wet his whistle.

England's oldest ex-Football League referee is now nigh-on 93, and if his box to box speed has dipped a little - "I know I shouldn't complain, but I do" - his mind's as sharp as an Old Trafford tantrum. The elixir, he says, is to stay involved.

He also became president of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, has held high provincial office in 54 tears association with the Masonic movement, was for 17 years a Durham FA councillor and remains an honorary vice-president, in which capacity he receives every Saturday the mournful list of transgressors.

"There are kids of 12 and 13 being sent off for violent conduct, " he laments, "not just one but fairly frequently.

"It upsets me, that. They see it on television and they copy it.

When we were playing football and the referee spoke to you - crikey, that was it. You didn't do it again." He was born and raised in Darlington, bought his first three bedroomed house for £345, became chief draughtsman at the Rolling Mills, played football for Blacketts and in the Northern League for Ferryhill Athletic, captained the Rolling Mills cricket team and played a canny round of golf.

He was also both actor and producer, not only reffed a Festival of Britain match - Gateshead v Limerick - in 1951 but was assistant producer and chief understudy in the Festival production of Hamlet.

He was clerk of works when Longfield Stadium opened in Darlington in 1952, helped mastermind the town's Arts Centre, was chairman of both Operatic Society and Referees' Association.

Another certificate ("I'm a hoarder") declares that in 1939 he completed air raid wardens' antigas training, an' all.

Now he's still in Darlington, still independent, ever more unhappy at how modern referees have to officiate with one hand tied behind their backs and the other not necessarily where it should be, either.

"I was quite fast and because I was chief draughtsman I knew something about man management. You tried to understand players, see things from their point of view.

"Now everything seems to be mandatory. You're not allowed to use your judgment or your discretion, it's all decreed. There were none of the restrictions imposed by television and by FIFA and those people, and the game was a lot better for it.

"We were allowed to referee in those days, today it seems that they aren't." Cricket worries him, too - "those fairy costumes, that awful drumming" - but it's football about which he feels most strongly.

"The game gets stopped too much, and that rule about players who've been treated having to come back onto the pitch is absolutely barmy. When U was refereeing, you only went off the pitch if you broke your leg." Promoted in successive seasons from class three to class one, he became a North Eastern League referee, had a season as Central League referee and Football League linesman and in 1949 found himself on the pitch with England's finest.

Three years later, however, the progress which had seemed not so much fast tracked as jet propelled, suddenly blew up. He returned to the North Eastern League.

Todd's law? "I don't really know what happened, " says George. "I'd been getting one or two bad reports and maybe I thought that if I couldn't be the very best, I didn't want to do it. I probably hadn't done as well as I thought I had and I was also getting involved with other things." Two years later, still just 11 years after his two and a tanner initiation, he gave up completely - the only sending off in his career coming in the final game.

"A lad got clobbered coming down the wing, got up and just whacked the other feller. I was as near to him as I am to you. There was absolutely no alternative.

"There were still rough players in my day, one or two very rough, but there was no malice in it.

That's the difference from today." He was, however, once chased by an irate lady with an umbrella. "I can't remember what I'd done, but it didn't half upset her." Peggy, his wife of 62 years - "very good actress" - died three years ago. His family are all around. "I've been very lucky in my life, but it doesn't just happen; you have to work at it. "One way or another, I like to think that I have."

GEORGE TODD'S reminiscences, and many more column inches, have flowed from the note a couple of weeks before Christmas seeking memories of legendary Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Sam Bartram, born in Boldon Colliery.

London based Mike Blake, writing a Bartram biography, was especially anxious to hear from anyone who remembered Sam at Easington Colliery or elsewhere in the North-East - and still isn't getting very far.

Undaunted, he plans a trip north on January 22 when Jarrow Roofing - who play at Boldon - entertain Deal Town in the FA Cup on what would have been Bartram's 91st birthday.

"I'm hopeful it will stir some memories, " he says. We'll happily pass on others.

AMONG his souvenirs, George Todd includes a letter from Walter Winterbottom - popularly England team manager, officially the FA's "director of coaching" - about the need to "stimulate young fellows" in Darlington.

There's a sixpenny programme from the opening of Longfield Stadium, a newspaper photograph - men only - from the referees' ladies night, a great cast list of amateur dramatic productions.

Mortenson, Matthews and Mudie all played when he had charge of Blackpool against Huddersfield Town and again when he officiated at Bloomfield Road.

Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang were at the Palace of Varieties and Mercer's O Be Joyful Stout at the bar. Wrestling, rather appropriately, graced the Tower Circus.

There's a programme from Roker Park, Sunderland fans urged to drink Dragon's Blood ("the famous old English strong ale") and to take a 2/2d cheap day return to Durham and a North Eastern League Cup final from Consett, the choice between Vaux strong beers and Turnbull's refreshing lemonade. The highlight of George Todd's career, however, was the Football League v Scottish League, watched on March 22 1950 by a 40,000 Ayresome park crowd.

The Football League included Alf Ramsey, Bert Williams, Neil Franklin and Boro idol Wilf Mannion; George Todd had the blue flag, Herbert Trenholm - also the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League's long serving secretary - the red.

Though the Football League won 3-1 with goals from Mannion, Mortenson and Eddie Baily of Charlton, the Echo's man was unimpressed.

"No football reputations were built on this display, England were the better of two unimpressive sides," wrote Mandale. Probably, however, the chap with the blue flag was brilliant.

IAN PORTERFIELD, a legend of more recent vintage, is celebrating a success as improbable as Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup triumph - the side he manages in Korea has won the national cup over there.

"On the budget we're on it's like Dunfermline winning the Scottish Premier League" says Porterfield, enjoying - despite the "horrific" weather - a family break in his native Scotland.

(You can tell he's back in Scotland; he keeps on using the mysterious word "forebye.") The man who scored one of Wembley's most memorable goals will be 59 next month and heads back east next week.

More, with luck, before then.

Long in a hole of the coal industry's making, Tow Law FC hope at last to return to the Ironworks Ground on January 22, still 14 home League games to play this season and prompting a plea from the programme editor. "Help," he says.

Billingham Town, meanwhile, have had to postpone the last two home games because of gale damage to the ground, hope to entertain Jarrow Roofing tomorrow and have brought a plea from regular supporter Martin Birtle.

"If it's Jarrow Roofing, " he says, "can you not ask them to bring some hammers and nails with them?"

And finally...

Tuesday's column sought the identity of the Sunderland player who was the Republic of Ireland's third choice goalkeeper in the Italia 90 World Cup squad - it was Niall Quinn, nominated after taking over from the red carded Tony Coton in Machester City days and spectacularly saving a penalty.

Another today from John Briggs in Darlington: Nottingham Forest won it in 1899 and Spurs won it in 1906. Won What?

Back to base on Tuesday.

Published: 14/01/2005