A CHANCE meeting between two former Barnsley football referees led to their reminiscing about a match at Wigan in the early 1950s.
Haroid Hackney came into contact with Jack Blackburn while on a visit to Blackpool earlier this year.
Jack runs an antique business in the town and, while in there, Harold also met Roy Chance, a well-known local footballer.
The match at Wigan was played between the Barnsley and District Referees’ Association and the Wigan Referees’ Association.
Mr Hackney and Mr Blackburn were members of the Barnsley Association team.
Mr Blackburn has submitted a photograph of the Barnsley team: back row, left to right: Harold Hackney (former Football League referee), Don Senior, Peter Carr, Eric Redford, Frank McGuiness, Ken Birkinshaw, Wilf Greaves (Wigan RA linesman).
Front row, left to right: Horace Holmes, Eric Eastwood, George Martin (former Football League linesman, now called assistant referees), Denis Bostwick, Jack Blackburn, Albert Burrows, Frank Leary, Goff Sunderland (former Football League referee).
Mr Hackney, who a life president of the Barnsley Football Association, was a member of the Football Association’s Video Advisory Committee (now disbanded).
“It was great to meet up with Jack and Roy,” said Mr Hackney. “Roy said he would like to be remembered to all his football friends in Barnsley.
