Tragic, and extremely sad. Fast forward to the early eighties and I had been promoted to a class one referee and with that went automatic promotion from Midland Combination linesman to referee.
My first match in the Comb. saw me sent to Bolehall Swifts in the Tamworth area. It was a fine August evening and the game got underway when out of nowhere came this almighty thunderstorm. At this moment the Highgate tragedy was uppermost in my mind and had no hesitation in abandoning the game. My first game as a referee in the middle of summer and I end up abandoning it for adverse weather! I have no regrets.
I had attended that re-arranged match at Villa Park having previously been at those two Liverpool defeats.
