REFEREES Martyn Coombs and Jim Wilson have been recognised for 40 years service to their Sunday football league – both in their 60s, it’s said, and neither with thoughts of a Sabbath lie-in.

The milestone’s with the North Yorkshire-based Hambleton Combination, more than 1,500 games between them since the league was formed in 1977, though both have extensively officiated elsewhere.

Martyn, Bedale boy, recalls early days when matches took “a lot of refereeing” and (he says) teams like Nalgo, Robert Thompson’s and Northallerton Police took no prisoners – and that was before they closed the custody suite.

Particularly he still remembers a difficult match involving the Board Inn at Richmond. Geoff Hunter, who ran the team, collard him at the end. “Well done, Coombsy, you tried your best,” he said. Faint praise.

It’s coincidental that Jim Wilson, a retired teacher from Leyburn, should recall Geoff Hunter’s funeral. As the coffin was carried into church, Jim realised that he’d booked or dismissed all three bearers on one side. As it was carried out again, he realised he had a double hat-trick.

Like his mate Martyn, Jim still greatly enjoys being the man in the middle. “You never stop refereeing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop refereeing.”

THE Rev Frank Campbell, who has died aged 60, was another who refereed for the general joy of it – and certainly not for the money.

Frank was a football mad Church of Scotland minister, a ref in what the Scots call junior football and a Northern League linesman. No matter the distance, he charged a flat expenses fee of £15.

In 2007 he’d been appointed to a night match at Stokesley, as far in Northern League terms as it was possible to go without falling off the end of the earth. Penrith, the opposition, had been delayed by roadworks: the match kicked off at 8.30, Frank left at 10.45, hit the same blocked artery on the A66 and arrived home at 2am.

He was minister at Ancrum, near Jedburgh, his study said to contain three works of theology, two hymn books and thousands of football programmes which he sold for church funds.

In 1998 he’d stopped off while returning from holiday to take a service at the United Reformed Church in Crook, the congregation boosted by former Northern League secretary Gordon Nicholson, suitably suited.

The contents of the pockets, said Gordon, would indicate when last he’d worn the suit. From one he fished the menu card from the Auckland and District League centenary dinner, held six years earlier. In another he found a National Coal Board pen. Gordon had last worked for the Coal Board in 1965.

Frank’s funeral is at 1pm tomorrow at Ancrum.

The Northern Echo:

Ray Snowball (goalkeeper) and John Charles (to Ray's left) in an Armoured Corps team in their National Service days

DOLEFULLY, funerals abound. At Jim McMillan’s I bump into Ray Snowball, three times an Amateur Cup winning goalkeeper with Crook Town, and at Paul Tully’s into veteran former Daily Mail sports writer Doug Weatherall.

Both are 85, former team mates at Ryhope Grammar School and for the thirsty-working Ryhope Independent Order of Good Templars.

Doug now forwards a picture of Ray in Northern Command days, the unmistakeable guy on his left the great John Charles – then based with the Royal Lancers in Carlisle but still allowed to play for Leeds United.

During a lengthy and hugely successful career here and in Italy, he was never so much as cautioned. “If there were 22 players like John Charles there’d be no need for referees, only time keepers,” ref and fellow Welshman Clive Thomas once observed.

John Charles died, aged 72, in 2004. Ray Snowball is still on Wearside, still playing golf and walking the Lakes, hoping that we might meet somewhere other than a funeral.

FORMER Hartlepool mayor Stuart Drummond (aka H’angus the Monkey) points out that when Pools gave a debut to Luke George the other day, he was a virtual mirror image of George Luke – 68 goals in 206 games in the 1950s. Has any other club had players with the same names in reverse order?

BILLINGHAM Town FC is marking its 50th anniversary, player and co-founder Tommy Donnelly still at his post.

Last Saturday against Willington he was gateman in the first half, ball boy in the second and still found time to recall the early days.

Seeking funds to develop a ground, the committee – Tom dissenting – held a strippers’ night at the chivalrously named Knights of St Columba club in Stockton. That’s when it all took off.

“There was hell on. I think people maybe got a bit over-excited,” Tom recalls. “We went back to running a Tote after that.”

Former players include England centre half Gary Pallister, still on Teesside. All are invited to a reunion at the match with Bedlington Terriers on December 23, and in the Bedford Terrace clubhouse thereafter. Details from Joe Driver on 07877 291526.

….AND finally, the really remarkable thing about Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Fulham on March 22 2003 (Backtrack, November 23) was that it was the last Premiership game in which neither side used a substitute.

With the clue that he will be 66 on Sunday, readers are today invited to name the oldest man to play football in the Premier League.

Old, old story, the column returns next week.