John Lewis (referee)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 30 March 1855 | ||
Place of birth | Market Drayton, Shropshire | ||
Date of death | 13 January 1926 (age 70) |
John Lewis (30 March 1855 – 13 January 1926) was an English football player, administrator and referee. He was born at Market Drayton, Shropshire, but lived most of his life in Lancashire and was primarily associated with Blackburn Rovers F.C. He was a leading referee from the earliest days of organised football, and when well into his 60s officiated in the gold medal match of the 1920 Olympic Games football tournament in Antwerp.
On 21 April 2008 it was announced that his grave at Blackburn Municipal Cemetery had been restored to its former glory, the costs having been met by Blackburn Rovers.[1]
Administrative work
Lewis was educated at
Refereeing career
Lewis had established himself as a notable referee within the domestic game in England and earned the nickname 'Prince of Referees'. He was three times appointed the referee in the
He refereed the 1898
He was given charge of the 1908 Olympic final at White City, London between Great Britain and Denmark which passed by without incident.
1920 Olympic Final
Lewis had already refereed the semi-final between the host nation Belgium and the Netherlands on Thursday 31 August before being appointed for the final on Saturday 2 September 1920.[4]
That Lewis was appointed match referee may be seen to be surprising in hindsight, given his age (then 65), but the Belgian national newspaper L'Action Nationale wrote an editorial on 4 September 1920 which read: "Mr. Lewis refereed the game magnificently on Thursday and yet Czechoslovakia are now disqualified".
As it transpired, the final was played in a poor spirit: with
The Czech delegation made the following statement in regard to their protest: "2. The majority of the decisions of the referee Mr. Lewis were distorted and it was obvious that it gave the public the wrong impression in regard to our game. Also both Belgian goals were the result of incorrect decisions of the referee and we seek a rigorous investigation on that point." They had also complained about the inclusion and performance of an English linesman, Charles Wreford-Brown, and the provocative influence of the troops lining the field.
The Czech protest was dismissed, and their team was disqualified. As a consequence, the tournament for the bronze medal was changed to one for the silver and bronze medals.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ "Grave of Blackburn Rovers founder restored to former glory". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
- ^ "A Brief History". lancashirefa.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ISBN 0-9534474-1-3.
- ^ "Olympic Games, 1920". sover.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Antwerp, 1920". FIFA. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Photographs from the 1920 Olympic Games". olympic.org. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2007.