Veteran Dundee football referee Fred Butcher, who took charge of matches into his 70s, has died aged 79.
He also had a spell in management, helping to run Broughty United and East End Athletic.
After a career as a bank manager, Fred ran the Midlands Tavern in Happyhillock before working in a builders’ merchant in Dundee.
He was born in Dundee in May 1944 to Frederick Butcher, a labourer in heavy engineering and his wife, Grace, a canteen assistant at Timex Milton, and grew up with siblings Stuart, Eddie and Sandra.
The family had a spell living in his father’s native London, where young Fred began supporting Fulham FC, before they returned to Dundee.
He was educated at Eastern Primary School, Broughty Ferry, and Grove Academy before starting his banking career.
Fred started on the lowest rung of banking, making tea and lighting the fires but rose to became a manager, working from Stobswell, Tayport and Meadowside.
He married, had two sons, David and Paul, later separated and spent 32 years with partner Angela Lynch.
For around four decades, Fred’s weekends were given over to refereeing on both Saturdays and Sunday in the amateur leagues.
He took early retirement from the TSB and ran the pub in Happyhillock, worked for Wolseley Build Centre and did delivery jobs until he fully retired at the age of 64.
Before his time officiating games, Fred ran East End Athletic in Dundee for three years in the Sunday league.
Under his management, although the team did not win any leagues or cups, Fred and his players did win promotion.
His partner, Angela, said: “Football, refereeing in particular, was Fred’s great passion and he was still officiating at games until he was in his 70s, although he was not as agile as he once was.
“Although he was a Dundee FC and Fulham supporter, he did not get to many games because he was always refereeing at weekends.”
Fred’s funeral will take place at Dundee crematorium on Thursday February 29 at 1.30pm.
You can read the formal announcement here.
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