The Ref Stop

Ex pro players in your league.

wazztie16

wazztie16

Level 4 Referee
Level 4 Referee
Anyone with ex pros playing in the leagues they ref in?

I've got 1 in my Saturday afternoon league, noticed his name last season, didn't get to ref him, i asked to be taken off the line I should've been on (for personal reasons) before I noticed he played for that team.

As far as I'm aware as well, he's pally with one of my uncle's, so that's a coincidence.

So anyone else?
 
The Ref Stop
Dean windass uses to play in hull at a step 7 club though he didn't play the time I reffed them, at higher levels I've come across Jonathan greening (European cup winner no less!), Julio arcs and Bryan Hughes.

Come across various ex pros as managers/coaches including Lee sinnott, Jon macken, Frank Sinclair, Curtis Woodhouse and Chris Kirkland.
 
Lee Hendrie, Joleon Lescott and his brother, Bellingham’s dad and a few more that were before my time round here🤣
 
es1 said:
Dean windass uses to play in hull at a step 7 club though he didn't play the time I reffed them, at higher levels I've come across Jonathan greening (European cup winner no less!), Julio arcs and Bryan Hughes.

Come across various ex pros as managers/coaches including Lee sinnott, Jon macken, Frank Sinclair, Curtis Woodhouse and Chris Kirkland.
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Was 4th Official on an FA Vase game a few years ago when Julio Arca was playing (and scored from about 45 yards), I think South Shields had a couple of other ex-pros in their team that day but can't remember who.

Jo Tessem plays for one of the Step 6 teams in my league, can't think of any others off the top of my head.
 
Not quite grass roots, but Junior Lewis played for step 5 side Welwyn Garden City and I refereed him. And at contrib I refereed, and sent off, former Ipswich forward James Scowcroft when he was playing for Bury Town.

I know that Nile Ranger was signed for a Barnet Sunday League club last season, but don't know if he ever played for them.
 
Gareth Ainsworth for Finchampstead in Bracknell Sunday league.
He also played a vital role in the leagues Cup final against a team who I'd reffed from when they first started out as u10s. They've been in adult football for many years now, showing my age lol.

The opposing team, Fernhill, have never liked me since I overruled my assistant when he flagged for a penalty in the u13 Cup final. The team were 3-0 up at the time, going into half time. I was about 6 yards, and unobstructed, from the incident whilst my assistant was about 25 yards away. Ball went out for a goal kick so went over to discuss the incident with him (the assistant was my brother too, which makes it harder to overrule I think as I trust him) just in case he saw something different to me and his first few words were "I believe it was". I asked if he were 100%, and then he replied "I think so". So stuck with goal kick.
They lost 4-3, conceding all in the 35 minutes of the 2nd half.
 
Jo Tessem who played for Southampton and 9 times for Norway lives locally and plays at Step 6.

He's almost 50 and doesn't have the legs any longer, however his first touch and passing is a joy to watch.
 
Alex Rush-Fear said:
Was 4th Official on an FA Vase game a few years ago when Julio Arca was playing (and scored from about 45 yards), I think South Shields had a couple of other ex-pros in their team that day but can't remember who.

Jo Tessem plays for one of the Step 6 teams in my league, can't think of any others off the top of my head.
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I should have read your post before writing mine 🙄
 
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I gave a yellow card to a player with Champions League experience in an old age group tournament. Sadly, I lost it and it was also easily the worst game I've refereed. Caught on video nightmare one-off car crash.
The last 11-a-side game I whistled had ex-Chelsea striker Forsell coaching the away team. I sent off his left back for two yellows - but I did let them play!
 
Alex Rush-Fear said:
Was 4th Official on an FA Vase game a few years ago when Julio Arca was playing (and scored from about 45 yards), I think South Shields had a couple of other ex-pros in their team that day but can't remember who.

Jo Tessem plays for one of the Step 6 teams in my league, can't think of any others off the top of my head.
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Nice! I did them in the vase too, arca got sent off then the floodlights went out 10 mins from time as shields fell 4-2 behind!
 
Had Trevor Benjamin (former Leicester City, Cambridge United and others) in a step 5 league once and took a photograph for posterity as I couldn’t believe it was the same guy beforehand. It was. And he didn’t score that day either.

On the flipside also had Conor Washington (current NI international and Hearts(?) player) on 3 occasions during his St Ives Town days. Clearly a special player even then, but not obvious he’d reach the levels he’s reached.

One opposition manager remarked that he should be at Southern League level as he was too good for Step 5. Still tickles me to this day as he is clearly better than that!
 
Tealeaf said:
On the flipside also had Conor Washington (current NI international and Hearts(?) player) on 3 occasions during his St Ives Town days. Clearly a special player even then, but not obvious he’d reach the levels he’s reached.
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Played 5 a side with a lad who was at uni with Conor, said he was a pretty good player.

Definitely done ok since then.
 
Chris Waddle in the vets league. His son Jack played at a decent level too and I reffed him last season at Sunday League level and Chris was there watching. My first football memory's are of watching the 1990 World Cup (and the VHS for years and years afterwards)...
 
Not so much on the pitch but when reffing U18 / U23 teams have had Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker coaching their teams. And was fourth official this season for Arsenal v Man U U23 with Nicky Butt and Steve Bould to take care of :)
 
Slightly different, but I had a former pro - who was once sold for a million pounds - lined up to play for my vets team.

He sent me a text on the Saturday before the Sunday morning game crying off as he had pulled a muscle whilst having a kick around with his 14 yr old son.

Didn‘t invite him to play again, need more commitment than that! (Not true, we all hung up our boots at the end of that season. He was (is) a really nice bloke, have had some interesting chats with him. )
 
Flagged David Howells offside when running the line as a CAR...:) He went mad and ref backed me up, saying - he's a qualified ref, so he's right!
He was playing Sunday league football with his brother - who was a decent goalkeeper.

Watched Paul Merson playing for a Sunday morning team in Twickenham earlier this season... not sure if it was Vets, but he didn't get out of the centre circle! Still bossed the game from there though...
 
I've played against dozens of ex-pros via half a dozen or so Charity Games. Unsurprisingly, the games were expensive to participate in.
Defending against Merson at Vicarage Road was most interesting. Easily the best personality
 
When I was at uni I was an assistant on a step 7 game and playing that day was league cup winner Pascal Chimbonda.
 
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