A NON-LEAGUE football match kicked off 30 minutes late – because the referee forgot that he was in charge.

When Darren Whatling did not appear as kick off approached for the Ebac Northern League fixture between Guisborough Town and Jarrow Roofing, Town staff contacted the official – who lives more than 40 miles away in York – and asked of his whereabouts, but he confessed that he had forgotten about the game.

The club then found a local referee who ran the line, while the senior assistant referee took over in the middle.

Guisborough won for the first time in four matches. They took the lead when Danny Earl scored with a backheel off a corner, and they went further ahead before half time when Earl ran through and scored with Jarrow appealing for offside. Connor Smith made it 3-0 when he scored from a left wing cross.