Whanganui football referee Bill Tanner racks up 50 years

A guard of honour was formed to mark Bill Tanner's 50 years as a football referee.
PHOTO /  Bevan Conley

In his 50 years of refereeing football, Bill Tanner has seen and done it all.

Not many refs can say they've been active for five decades, accidentally scored the winning goal of a cup final or had a role in a Guinness world record but it's all something Tanner, 77, can lay claim to.

On June 8, the veteran Whanganui referee was acknowledged for his service to football following a game he officiated at Wembley Park.

"It was a funny feeling, you've been doing a job you love anyway and you get recognised for it. It's quite moving really," he said.

Tanner's passion for the game was sparked as an 8-year-old in Hampshire, England, when he lived on an estate property with an adjoining football pitch.

"All us kids did was play football morning, noon and night, every day. It was a wonderful time," Tanner said.

Much of the veteran referee's childhood involved football, with his geography teacher once playing in an amateur league final at Wembley in London which the school's football players were allowed to go along to.

Tanner played as a goalkeeper in his younger days and said one fond memory came after an interschool final when he was 13.

"During the medal presentation, the local mayor pushed a half crown coin into my hand as a thank you for saving two penalties, so I guess you can say I was a professional at 13," Tanner said.

Eventually Tanner's passion for playing on the pitch waned but an opportunity arose to keep his boots on in a different capacity.

"I sort of lost a bit of love for the game through injuries but then I happened to see an ad in the paper recruiting referees. I went along and I was really encouraged to join up and away we went."

Tanner never looked back.

"It's really good because you're still part of the game, still in the game you love and you're giving something back.

"It was quite hard work at the start because you're not allowed anywhere near the middle of the pitch as a referee, you had to go on the lines for the first six months.

"But it was good because I saw how all the other referees operated with their different styles and you could choose what way you wanted to go."

 

Little did Tanner know his first appointment to the sideline would go down in history.

"It was a dreadful day, it was snowing and it was a really rough game," he said.

"It was quite incredible because after the game we were coming off the park and the referee said to me 'c'mon Bill, I've had enough of this, we're going to book all 22.'

"I'm trailing behind him in the dressing room taking down the names, he ended up booking all the players and both coaches.

"I thought 'bloody hell if they're all going to be like this what have I put myself in for?

"It was quite funny because I never thought more about it until I was at a book sale 
recently and was reading the Guinness book of records and it's in there under the category of most undisciplined match."

Tanner recalls his early refereeing days of travelling around the Hampshire countryside to old villages that would often only have a school hall, pub, and football pitch.

 

It was during the last game Tanner reffed in England that a peculiar situation occurred, sure to throw some referees off their game.

"There was corner and the player hit the ball across and for some unknown reason all the defenders ducked instead of trying to clear the ball, I just saw the ball coming towards me and reacted by turning away.

"Apparently the ball hit me right on the point of the shoulder, sailed up in the air and straight into the back of the net.

"At that moment I'm thinking what rule does this come under, but of course it's a goal because you're part of play.

"The report in the paper the next day read 'referee scores cup final winner'.

"It was brilliant though, it was all taken in good spirit."

In 1973 Tanner moved to New Zealand with wife Jan and settled in Whanganui where he has stayed, dedicating his time to the game he loves.

"I was in the central league for quite a few years which means you could be asked to go down to Wellington, New Plymouth, Hawke's Bay, all over.

"It was good but it's tiring and you don't really get reimbursed for it, it's an amateur sport so you do it for the love of the game."

Tanner said heckling and sideline abuse was an aspect of being a referee but it was necessary to block it out.

"If you're reacting to that you're taking your mind off the game and you just can't do that. Get on with the job and call what you see, it's as simple as that."

Central Football's Rod Pelosi was at the 50-year anniversary game and presented Tanner with a silver commemorative plate to mark the occasion.

"It's rare to reach the milestone as an active referee, it's not quite so rare to be involved in refereeing for 50 years but to reach it while still officiating games is very special," Pelosi said.

 

"I'm not that much of a historian but I would be hard pressed to say there are many others with 50 years that I know of.

"We're just so happy we could present a token of our appreciation on behalf of the game because he has contributed week in and week out, he's just there all the time."

After calling football matches for 50 years, Tanner says the game has certainly changed with players being much fitter than in previous decades, and with the introduction of technology even at local games.

The referee still has a strong passion for football and highlights his simple love of the game that drives him to continue reffing.

"I'm just going to keep going as long as my health is alright, there's no reason to stop.

"I had a really nice experience recently, I just finished a kid's game and all they just see is a referee in the middle really.

"But after the game as I was walking off I felt a tug on my shirt and this little kid looked at me and said 'thank you very much sir for giving up for time to referee our game'.

"It was quite incredible actually and that really encompasses what it's all about."

Wife Jan Tanner said she often heard the same story from her husband but will continue to support his role in football.

"Every year Bill tells me he's hanging up his boots and every year he goes along to the sport shop and buys himself a new pair."

By Abe Leach
Whanganui Chronicle 15/6/19