Long-serving referees continue to support grassroots football in Chesterfield

Ralph Morton first picked up the whistle back in 1975 in his hometown of Leeds, and he remains active in the game today.

The octogenarian is not the only veteran referee in the Chesterfield Sunday League. Alongside Bruce Baskerville, Richard Roberts and Darryl White, they collectively boast nearly 150 years of experience.

Much has changed since Ralph, as a rookie referee, was asked to oversee a top-of-the-table clash between Harehills Labour Club and Harehills WMC in the Leeds Sunday League. He relocated to Chesterfield in 1977 and quickly joined its Sunday League, where his first match took place on the old pitch at Wingerworth, now a housing estate.

Ralph is one of only six officials to referee the prestigious Alma Cup final on two occasions, but the highlight of his career came far beyond the town's borders. This was at the old Wembley Stadium in 1988, when he served as Fourth Official for an England vs Brazil schoolboy international, with England winning 2-0 in front of 54,000 spectators.

“Why do I do it? Refereeing is the next best thing to actually playing the game,” Ralph states. “I love football and I love the involvement and engagement with the players and all the people involved in grassroots football in Chesterfield. Many of the people I have met on the football pitch I now consider to be very good friends. I'm 85 now, and while the legs keep me going I'll keep turning up on Sunday mornings.”

Ralph’s colleague, Bruce Baskerville, is another enduring figure in refereeing. He has officiated around 3,000 matches as a referee and assistant referee since qualifying at the Chesterfield YMCA in the late 1980s. Bruce has taken charge of cup finals across Derbyshire and beyond, including two Alma Cup deciders – one at Saltergate and another at the SMH Group Stadium.

"I have officiated at hundreds of grounds but my favourite is the magnificent St. George's Park, the HQ for England. I refereed a Premier League U15s Tournament there,” Bruce recalls. “The highlight of my career came a couple of years ago when a couple of friends and I donated some of our match fees which amounted to more than £4,300 over a season to Ashgate Hospice. That was a very special moment. I’ve been very fortunate in that I have met many wonderful people who commit their time and efforts to grassroots football across North Derbyshire and beyond. I'll keep refereeing because I enjoy it so much and it gives me the opportunity every weekend to interact with local folk who love the game like I do.”

Richard Roberts, the third of the Sunday League’s long-serving referees, shares similar sentiments but entered refereeing by chance. "I broke my leg in 1999,” he explained. “I nearly lost the bottom of my right leg but when I recovered I was asked to referee a match and I would have a few pints bought as payment. I did it and enjoyed it.” Richard passed his referee exam later that year and by Christmas had taken charge of his first Chesterfield Sunday Football League game, eventually achieving Level 4. Being appointed to his first cup final at Saltergate and receiving a double promotion from Level 7 to Level 5 are moments of pride for him.

Unfortunately, the 2026/27 season will mark his last as a referee. “I do it because I enjoy it and having banter with other officials and players, but 28 years of refereeing have taken their toll. I can't go on forever so I have decided to call it a day. I've done my bit; it's time to devote more time to my family.”

For many, refereeing is a way to stay involved in football after hanging up their boots. Darryl White is one such individual. “Taking up refereeing wasn't a hard choice,” he says. His experience has spanned the Sunday League, County Senior League and youth football, officiating in finals and other significant matches. The general rule is that the less a referee is noticed in a game, the better they have performed, but as Darryl knows from his 34 seasons, that is not always achievable.

“I do recall one instance from many years ago when I refereed a key game involving the team second in the league who were pushing for promotion. They were losing 2-1 in the dying moments. They were attacking and the player crossed a ball into the penalty area which the goalkeeper punched the ball clear. As he did so I blew my whistle to end the game – just as a player volleyed the ball back and into the goal. Because I had already blown my whistle, I could not allow the goal to stand. Needless to say, I was not very popular that day.” Darryl acknowledges that every grassroots referee has stories of incidents that have occurred over the years. "It's partly what makes the involvement so special,” he says. “I have kept a log of all my games and every now and again I look through my records and it brings back many memories of my time out in the middle. I still love the game very much and I have no desire to step down, not yet!”

Individuals like Richard, Bruce, Darryl and Ralph are vital in sustaining grassroots football. Without them, there would be no 11-a-side matches to enjoy. As Chris Roberts, referees appointments officer for the Chesterfield Sunday League, states: "Refereeing isn’t an easy job, not least at the grassroots. To go on as long as they have, these four are worth their weight in gold.” Source: Derbyshire Times