Referees Association recognise Bill’s 70 years of ‘outstanding service’

BILL Bombroff’s dedication to football refereeing has been recognised with a unique presentation.

The 84-year-old was, as usual, at the referees changing room, fulfilling his duties as officiating adviser to Bristol’s Downs League, when he was stunned to receive a certificate from the Referees’ Association celebrating his 70 years of “outstanding service” to the game.

It’s thought to be the first time the association has recognised such longevity in its 114-year history, and marks Bill’s remarkable journey from parks football to the upper echelons of the game and back to the grassroots.

Bill, from Yate, pictured, said: “The camaraderie on the Downs is unbelievable, and that’s what keeps me going ... 20 referees in one room and doing your best to help them so they, in turn, can help the players enjoy themselves.”

Bill was a full-back as a youngster but at the age of 12 was pressed into running the line for matches in his native Birmingham and quickly progressed to being out in the middle.

He moved to Bristol in 1962, and started out by taking charge of matches in Division Six of the District League before working his way up to the Premier Combination and Western League ahead of running the line in the thenFootball League for the first time in 1970.

Bill graduated to the Football League’s full referee list for three seasons, from 1978 to 1981, when he had to stand down as he had reached the then-retirement age of 43. He was then invited to join the Western League Referee Advisory Panel from its inception, and was requested by the FA to remain in post and not become an assessor to the Football League as his work there was considered more important.

Bill returned to the Bristol & District League and the Premier Combination for several seasons before joining the GFA’s assessing panel, while 11 years ago he was invited to become referee adviser on the Downs and subsequently a member of the GFA Referee Development team.

Highlights of his career include running the line in an FA Cup quarter-final between Wolves and Manchester United with Pat Partridge in the middle, while he was also on the line for a UEFA Cup tie in Belgium. For the vast majority of his soccer career though, Bill has served the grassroots of the game he loves. From 1966 through to 2019 he was engaged in committee work at branch, county, division and national level, being made a life member of the national body in recognition of hundreds of hours of unseen work behind the scenes.

He continues to take great satisfaction from mentoring young officials, though he does wonder if his 12-year-old self would stick with officiating if he was starting out in the current climate.

He said: “We’re struggling for referees every week and a lot of it is down to the behaviour of players which has changed so much.

“I began in 1951 and it was probably 1960 before I issued my first caution. It’s very different now ... it was reported recently that 380 bans were handed to players and officials last season for attacking or threatening referees and match officials in England.

“There needs to be a big clampdown on bad behaviour and discipline if things are going to change.”