Tony Oliver (referee)

Anthony Philip Oliver (born 6 March 1931) is an English former association football referee, who was active in the Football League.

Early life

Anthony Philip Oliver was born in Chelmsford on 6 March 1931,[1] and was educated at the town's King Edward VI Grammar School.[2]

Career

Oliver began his career in Chelmsford, refereeing local matches. He was promoted to Class 2 in 1954 and Class 1 in 1956,[3] after which he was placed on the Linesmen's list of the Football Combination.[4][5] In a 1959 Essex Senior Cup match, Oliver accidentally scored a goal.[6]

In 1962, after moving to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, Oliver was promoted to the Supplementary Referees List of the Football Combination; a year later he was promoted to the Full list, and was also added to the Linesmen's List of the Football League.[7]

In 1968, Oliver was promoted to the Football League Referees List,[8] after serving the previous five seasons as a Linesman. Between 1968 and 1974, he refereed every club except Sunderland. He was the referee for the first ever professional football match played on a Sunday in England when Cambridge United played Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup on 6 January 1974. Several other games were played that day but this was the first to kick off at 11.15 am. [9]

References
  1. Births and Deaths Sub District Chelmsford Essex Certificate D5992 No79
  2. King Edward VI Grammar School Welcome
  3. Essex County FA Handbooks of 1949-1974
  4. Football Combination Handbooks 1956-1963
  5. Essex Chronicle 2/10/1956
  6. Harwich News 4/2/1959
  7. Football League Handbooks of 1963 -1974
  8. Southend Standard/Pictorial page 20 28 October 1970
  9. The Times, 7 January 1974, p6


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