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Regaling refereeing memories – Part One!

John (Left back beside the banner) with Dunfermline club members

Dunfermline Sporting Memories club welcomed ex-Class 1 referee John Rowbotham to the club last month when he regaled us with some wonderful memories.   From Ayrshire to Bordeaux what a fantastic career.    

This session was made even more memorable as two of our regular Dunfermline members, Billy Reilly and John Vandell, are also former referees – with the trio able to share stories aplenty of their own exploits on the pitch. 

How it all started

Before becoming a highly respected referee, John played amateur football in his younger days. John recollected playing in 1986, after not having scored a goal all season it was nearing the end of the final match and into extra time. A corner was awarded to John’s team. He was standing almost on the goal line, intercepted the ball, stood in it nonchalantly and tapped in over the line...and fell into the goal at the same time!  However, it was the winning goal, so John was naturally thrilled.  

He got home and relayed his success to his wife, Ellen, who was delighted for him of course. Then he announced that he was going to retire from football. Ellen replied: “That’s great, you’ll be able to come shopping with me on Saturdays”. John‘s only response was: “I’m thinking of taking up refereeing instead” He actually hadn’t been but now it was said out loud, he had to go through with it. 

John started with the under 18’s, progressing through the amateur leagues, then became a junior football referee before advancing to the senior list as a linesman. 

John moved up the ranks till 1991 when he became a Class 1 referee officiating top-flight Scottish games.  His first top game was Berwick Rangers and Arbroath where the manager at that time was Danny McGrain.  There’s a brilliant story there but not for public consumption - but it was all to do with the time! 

Wives having a giggle 

Rowbotham related how he and John Vandell (one of our members) often travelled together to away games in the Scottish Junior Cup, often to Ayrshire.  On a trip to officiate at a semi-final game between Auchinleck vs Whitburn in Motherwell, they decided to take their wives along for the outing.  

Showered and changed after the game, both Johns were escorted upstairs to hospitality. As they went upstairs they turned to one another and said ‘that sounds like Ina (Vandell) and Ellen (Rowbotham) laughing and giggling – a bit unusual because both wives were better known for being quiet.  Turns out the pair of them were ‘half-cut’ and had to be poured into the car for the return home! 

Spanish Insults 

John brought along a large selection of his memorabilia including medals, tops, programmes, many of them quite precious.  John was linesman at a Scottish League Cup final with referee Kenny Clark.  Playing in that team was Nacho Novo who we already know from this article did not speak English well at all.   

After receiving a couple of fouls from the referee, Nacho launched into a tirade of insults, all in Spanish. Unfortunately for Nacho, Kenny could speak fluent Spanish so the look on Nacho’s face when Kenny responded with a suitable insult ensured that Nacho didn’t bother with that trick again.  

He did pay tribute to our two ex-referee members at the Dunfermline club, as any success John had was because he listened and learned from them and their contemporaries.  

He also made his large collection of programmes available to anyone who wanted to take one for their possible collection.  That is apart from one – the Raith Rovers v Bayern Munich friendly in 1997 which he was asked to officiate at...and Raith Rovers won! 

More on Thursday as John progressed his refereeing career into Europe.