A football mad OAP who has taken charge of more than 5,000 games in a career spanning 40 years is thought to be Britain’s “oldest referee”. Sprightly Frank Foster is 89 years old and has no plans to blow the final whistle on his hobby.
He started refereeing in November 1980 and still officiates men's, women's and children's footie games three times a week for the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA. He expects to carry on dishing out red and yellow cards into his 90s as he 'just loves being a ref'. Great-grandad-of-three Frank said: "I just love it. Whether it's girl's football, women's, boy's or men's football, I'm the same. I just love football, but you've got to play it to the rules so no diving. I like seeing that people play to the rules and that there's no dissent. I don't accept any trouble, even from spectators. I make them understand the word of respect. When I talk to the players before the match starts, I tell them to play to the whistle and all that jazz. I tell them to not get into any altercations and tell them that I'll sort it all out because if you retaliate, then it's even worse."
Frank is believed to be the oldest referee in the UK, and he said that people sometimes comment on his age after matches. "There's been times when I'm leaving the field, and someone will come up to me and ask how old I am. I ask them how old they think I am; they might say 67, but I'll always say, 'spot on'. I don't even think about my age, and I'll be a referee until I can't keep up with them. I might eventually need a moped at half-time, but I'll always keep doing it." He has also reflected on some of his memories of coaching and refereeing football from the last 40 years, including when he's had to tell spectators to leave. "One time I was refereeing at a men's game and every time I made a decision on something, one of the players said, 'oh my God.' I thought I would let that go a little bit. But after the second time he said it, I went up to him and said 'it's nice to know that there's people who are religious who play football'. He didn't say it anymore, it's just all about how you approach things." Speaking about how he keeps the crowd disciplined, Frank said: "I don't take anything from spectators, I tell them to either be quiet or I'll just send them away. If I do have to send them away, then I find out which team they are there supporting and call the manager of that team over to send that chap away. Then if he doesn't go away, I'll cancel the game. One time I sent a chap away and he asked how far I wanted him to walk. I told him that if he sees a number five bus, then he should get on it."
Source: Wales Online