George Lambie was an American

People of the United States

The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...

 soccer referee.

Biography

Lambie was the former dean of American soccer referees. In 1915, the Bethlehem Globe described Lambie as one of the three greatest referees in American soccer. Throughout the 1920s, Lambie officiated many games key to soccer history in the US. He briefly interrupted his soccer career by returned to his native Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 to fight for the Allies

Allies of World War I

The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

In 1952, he was called "one of US's most famous soccer officials" by the Sarasota Herald tribune while Lambie spent winters residing in Florida to escape the cold of New England. As recently as 2000, Lambie was recognized by the Boston Globe listing his controversial call in the 1927 game pitting the Boston Wonder Workers vs. Uruguay as the number 1 moment of the "Best Local Games of the Century".

Lambie came to the United States in 1908 and was naturalized in 1917. He married Bridget (Beat) Rourke on October 30, 1915. They had two children: Margaret in 1921, and Catherine (Kay) in 1924. While Lambie operated his own plumbing

Plumbing

Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...

 and heating business for more than 50 years, he spent much time on the road officiating soccer games. He suffered a stroke in 1952, and moved in to the home of his daughter Catherine shortly after. He was also involved in the Order of Scottish Clans

Order of Scottish Clans

The Order of Scottish Clans was a fraternal and benevolent society founded in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 30, 1878. The dual purpose of the Order was to provide life and disability insurance to Scottish immigrants and their descendants, and also to preserve the culture and traditions of...

. He died in 1965 and is buried in Peabody, Massachusetts

Peabody, Massachusetts

Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...

.

Career highlights

He officiated the:

• National Cup 1915
• National Challenge Cup 1919
• National Challenge Cup 1926
• Annual Open Cup held by the American Football Association
  American Football Association
  American Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...
  
  
• American Cup 1916
• American Cup 1918
• American Cup 1920