Direct from the horse's mouth.......

[ferencpuskas]

or in this case the Ref's.    Bumped into an ex ref. over the weekend, he's 84 now, but still got all his faculties, mentally and physically,and we nattered for  about half an hour about the old days, and some of the games I played in which he ref'ed, and we had a few loffs, about grounds and "casers" and such, but to be fair he was a good ref, and understood the game from the player's viewpoint, backed up his decisions, by talking, and a quick retort, if something was said to him , rather than dishing cards out. When he finished himself, he took over training and referee assessment, in fact he taught my sister, who was a qualified ref. for junior/ladies games. Out of interest , I asked him his opinion on today Officials. Let's just say he was not impressed, and it would be very difficult to stick the VAR equipment where he suggested. 
For some of the older posters on here, who may have played in the 60s/70s his name is Micky Boddis.

[Fulham Fallout]

I once met an ex professional ref who used to ref (the old) first division and he said “when I gave a penalty, if they missed I’d say there was infringement or the keeper moved”.  I was not impressed and asked him if referees masturbate a lot

[Duffers]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

[baggiebloke]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

Complementary about us as a club? 

I've been in the various ref rooms over the years, always being updated. 

They're like a Travel Tavern Plus now.

[ElbowGrease1973]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

So was bloody watching them!

As a youngster our football team Manager was a professional referee, and was on TV a few times refereeing the top flight (still Division One at that time). I remember him making a couple of bad calls against West Ham, and being called all the names under the sun by their players. It takes a certain type of person to be a referee, and he was certainly a pedantic bugger. Anyone who's ever run the line on a Sunday knows it's a thankless task being an official though, and it's not something I'd want to do. I don't think we're too far away from the top flight games being completely refereed from someone sat in a TV room miles away, with the person on the field just being told what decision they've made.

[waffle]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

I know the one you mean. You’re right, pretty decent guy.

[Tom Joad]

A regular in my local does a bit of caddying for women's professional golf. So does Mike Dean. He knows him well and classes him as a mate. Same guy is also a villa fan, mind.

[Duffers]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

I know the one you mean. You’re right, pretty decent guy.

Funny to think that up until very recently top flight officials had day jobs too.

Makes me hark back to the 80’s where referees would always be introduced along the lines of “David Ellerey, an insurance broker from Stroud”.

[SW4Baggie]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

I know the one you mean. You’re right, pretty decent guy.

Funny to think that up until very recently top flight officials had day jobs too.

Makes me hark back to the 80’s where referees would always be introduced along the lines of “David Ellerey, an insurance broker from Stroud”.

Know you’re just using him as an example, but wasn’t Ellerey the one who refused to go professional due to having a very high paying job at a private school?

[Duffers]

I used to deal with a current PL referee quite a bit when he was still non-professional and worked as a sales rep for a medical supplies company.

Nice guy, found it odd that one minute we’d be talking about about theatre saws and drill bits, the next we’d be talking about him booking Rooney at the weekend. He was very complementary about us, although he said reffing Pulis teams was always hard work.

I know the one you mean. You’re right, pretty decent guy.

Funny to think that up until very recently top flight officials had day jobs too.

Makes me hark back to the 80’s where referees would always be introduced along the lines of “David Ellerey, an insurance broker from Stroud”.

Know you’re just using him as an example, but wasn’t Ellerey the one who refused to go professional due to having a very high paying job at a private school?

Rings a bell, most of them were PE teachers IIRC.