Steady Eddie at the ready

Referee: Eddie Aspin.

FOOTBALL: SOME might label Eddie Aspin as a bit Jekyll and Hyde: when he isn’t officiating as a ref he plays for White House FC in the Midas Plumbing and Heating Oldham Sunday League.

Aspin, a builders’ labourer, first got the buzz to be a referee after being banned from playing for a while for Oldham Sunday League side Bull’s Head, more than a decade ago.

“It was purely accidental how I started out in refereeing. I was given a one-month ban but still went to see them play. One time the referee didn’t show up and I offered.

“Also there that day was Arthur Lees, the league’s referee secretary, who afterwards he told me I had done a good job.

“Arthur invited me to a referees’ coaching course. I passed, but it wasn’t until 2005 that I started refereeing in the league. I’ve been fairly regular ever since.”

There was a refereeing lull in 2011 when a number of referees including Aspin refused to officiate over an issue relating to players they felt should have been banned.

“What has improved since is communication between referees and the league committee. A lot has been learned by both sides.”

A well-known and respected referee in the Oldham Sunday League, Aspin is no slouch when it comes to playing. He finished last season as top goalscorer at Cartshaft FC with 22 strikes from 17 outings, but other commitments have led to him playing just twice this season, for White House.