Ken started refereeing when he was 17yrs. old. This will be Kens 49th season this year. He decided to take up refereeing after playing school/youth football but he realised that he was not good enough to play good standard local football.
Ken has refereed in Swansea Junior, Swansea Senior, South Wales Amateur, Central Wales, Welsh league, Football Combination and Assistant Referee in League Of Wales and Conference. Also for WWFA and FAW.
Cup Honours - Finals
FAW - Inter-Area
Welsh League-Intermediate, Youth and Reserve
WWFA - Senior, Intermediate, Youth, U12 and U13
Senior League-Virtually all of them
Junior League- Virtually all of them
Longest serving referee in WWFA- 49YRS
Longest serving referee on Welsh League-45YRS (Possibly longest ever)
On 1st Jan 2010 Ken started his 6th decade of refereeing (Has this ever been achieved?)
Main Highlights
Assistant Referee - Swansea City v Manchester Utd.
Swansea City v Real Sociadad (N.Stevenson Testimonial)
4th Official at 3 European Cup Ties
Refereed Swansea City against Man.City,Luton,Southampton and Aldershot in Toshack era,and Swansea City v Hamilton at Liberty Stadium.
Kens first Football Combination Match as a referee: Swansea City v Ipswich
Ken has officiated at, White Hart Lane, Stamford Bridge, Upton Park and Highbury in London and numerous football league grounds.
Ken recalls his first 1st visit to Highbury. (photo below)
I "conned" the secretary of the Football Combination into believing that myself and another referee were running in the London marathon on the Sunday and we would be in London on the Saturday and would only charge £2 expenses if we were given a match in London. Fortunately the secretary did not know of the normal physical condition of the other official who did not run 26 miles in a season never mind in one morning”.
(I wonder who that other official was?)
Ken, has been a member of the Swansea Referees Society for 49yrs. and was Treasurer for many years.
Ken was also an FAW Referees Instructor for a number of seasons.
Ken says that his remaining ambitions are limited as he as just about achieved all he can possibly achieve, but he would like to complete another 1 season and complete 50yrs. refereeing which will be a record not many will achieve in the future if any have achieved it in the past.
Some of Ken’s great memories are when he managed the societies 5a side team in the mid 70's when they reached the national finals at Keele University. The squad was, Bob Waygood, John Holohan, Alan Tucker, Clive Hayward, Dave Williams, John Beynon, Mike Curnock and Mike Cadmore
They beat previously unbeatable Rhondda in Welsh Round, went to Torquay to win Wales and West of England Section and came 4th in Keele.
Ken also played /managed very successful 11a side team at same time and had a number of great seasons with trips to Weston, Maidenhead and Bromsgrove and 2 Charity matches at Stebonheath Park and Vetch Field. Latter one had all professional players with 8 internationals and the great Barry John and Gareth Edwards had the honour of being on the same pitch as Ken.
Ken recalls his 1st match which was in Div.6 Glantawe v South.Gower at Cefn Coed Hospital, 13-4, 9 allegedly offside/disputed goals and it was a complete disaster. Caught a bus to Cocket Inn and had to walk a mile to ground through pouring rain and changed in toilets. It was an experience he will never forget.
Ken has many more stories to tell and over the coming seasons we will be telling you a few more.
