Tony Allden - in memorium

[dave.woodhall]

Mr R on a non-league tragedy.

https://heroesandvillains.info/2022/11/16/tony-allden-in-memorium/


 

[dave shelley]

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.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I think it was an early kick off as there wouldn't have been floodlights so there was detailed coverage in that evenings Argus.
My Dad took me to the game at Villa Park and apart from that Man U game it was the biggest crowd I had been in.
Would have been nice if the article had spelt his name right.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

I also attended the VP replay, couldn't believe the turn out. I was also playing on another pitch in Shirley at the time of the storm!
Will never forget the incident.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

[trinityoap]

Didn't Keith Leonard play for Highgate?

[dave shelley]

Didn't Keith Leonard play for Highgate?

Yes.

[dcdavecollett]

Cost us about £5,000 didn't he? Pound for pound, the best player we ever signed?