Pat Partridge
Encyclopedia
Patrick "Pat" Partridge (born 30 June 1933) is a retired English
football
referee, and former President of the Association of Football League Referees and Linesmen. His occupation outside football was as a farmer
. He originates from Billingham
, Stockton-on-Tees
, and took the name of his father, Patrick Partridge, MBE
.
. During his period of compulsory National Service (1954–1956), he registered as an Army referee; during a military posting to Hong Kong
, he was allowed to officiate in that country's Third and Fourth Divisions. Partridge returned to England and, for a short time from 1957, was appointed to referee games in the now-defunct North Eastern League. Following its disbandment in 1958, he moved to the Northern League to develop his career further. He was accepted as a Football League
linesman for the 1965-66 season
, and progressed to become a Football League referee in the following year.
In his 1979 co-authored biography with John Gibson, he recalled his first ever top-class Football League match as man-in-the-middle, when he awarded three penalty kick
s in the game between Manchester City
and Leicester City
at Maine Road
in March 1967, which Leicester won 3-1. He admits he failed to caution the then Leicester goalkeeper Gordon Banks
for kicking the ball away from the penalty spot at one of the kicks.
He also recounts a chain of events which led to a major change in the International Laws of Association Football. On 13 May 1967, Stoke City
visited Old Trafford to play Manchester United
, just after United had been confirmed as the old Division One
champions. Paddy Crerand
of United had an altercation with Peter Dobing
of Stoke, which was dealt with by Partridge holding Crerand close, such that his head was over the referee's shoulder.
Unknown to the official, TV cameras picked up Crerand's action of spitting over his shoulder at Tony Allen
, another Stoke player. Crerand and Dobing were cautioned for their confrontation, but Partridge had not seen the incident which many others had seen. Partridge later received a letter from Alan Hardaker
, the then secretary
of the Football League, asking for his observations on the incident, in response to many complaints received by the Football Association
at Lancaster Gate
. He was unable to respond with conclusive evidence, but nevertheless the International Board changed the Laws of the Game to put spitting on a par with violent conduct, and therefore a dismissable offence.
He was promoted to the FIFA
list of referees in 1971, taking the place of the retiring Kevin Howley
. Howley was another Teeside official who had played a key role in his early career. Just prior to this promotion the pair had run the line to Jack Taylor
in the 1971 European Cup Final between Ajax and Panathinaikos
at Wembley.‡ Although not chosen to officiate in the 1974 FIFA World Cup
Finals, he did handle two friendly matches in Brazil
as a pre-cursor to that event. These were Brazil
versus Czechoslovakia
on 7 April 1974, and Brazil against Austria
on 5 May 1974.
His greatest domestic honour was being awarded control of the 1975 FA Cup Final between West Ham
and Fulham
on 3 May 1975, which West Ham won 2-0, both goals being scored by Alan Taylor.
As a FIFA referee, he returned to Brazil to referee the second leg
of the 1976 World Club Championship Final (otherwise known as the Intercontinental Cup) in Mineirão
, Belo Horizonte
, between Cruzeiro
and Bayern Munich
. Bayern led 2-0 from the first leg, and a 0-0 draw in the latter game on 21 December 1976 meant that the German
side took the Trophy that year. On 11 May 1977, he took charge of the European Cup Winners Cup Final between SV Hamburg
and Anderlecht in the Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam
, which Hamburg won 2-0.
1978 was by far Partridge's busiest year. He was appointed to that year's League Cup Final
at Wembley between Nottingham Forest
and Liverpool
, which ended 0-0 after extra time. The replay was won 1-0 by Forest at Old Trafford from the award of a penalty kick by Partridge against Liverpool's Phil Thompson
. This is also the match where the same player is attributed with the first use of the phrase "professional foul
".
On 12 September 1978, he refereed an infamous meeting between Burnley
and Celtic
in the quarter final of the now-defunct Anglo-Scottish Cup
, in which Steve Kindon
(notable previously as a Wolves
player) gave Burnley the lead after 55 minutes. By the 80th minute, the mass of Celtic supporters showed their frustration to such a degree that Partridge led off both sets of players. Only a plea to the crowd from Kindon and Celtic manager Billy McNeill
, at the referee's suggestion, allowed the game to resume. When it did, the score remained the same until the end. Burnley won the second leg at Celtic Park
by 2 goals to 1 on 27 September and went on to win the competition by defeating Oldham 4-1 on aggregate over a two-legged Final
.
Partridge was chosen as a FIFA representative to officiate during the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina
. He was linesman for two matches, both in Group A: Argentina
v. Hungary
, which Argentina won 2-1; and France
v. Hungary, which France won 3-1. He refereed just the one match in the Finals, the Second Stage Group B match between Peru
and Poland
, which finished 1-0 to Poland through a goal by Andrzej Szarmach
. In his book, Partridge remarks at length as to the antics of the Peru
vian goalkeeper, Ramon Quiroga
, during that match. Having earlier executed two perfect tackles on outfield players during the match, on or near the halfway line, Quiroga then pulled down Grzegorz Lato
in his opponents' half in the second period, earning himself a caution, despite standing and bowing apologetically towards the referee after the misdemeanour.
The 1980 European Championships in Italy
(the last tournament of his career) ended in his officiating in only one match throughout its duration. This was the encounter between Greece
and Czechoslovakia
on 14 June at the Stadio Olimpico
in Rome
. The Greeks lost by 3 goals to 1, finishing bottom of Group A. Partridge should have retired from refereeing directly after the Championships. However, the Football League had decided that the retirement age be raised to forty eight on an experimental basis (since confirmed).† This allowed him one final season (1980-81
) on the List.
which was run by Margaret's father. He and Margaret then took a full role in the running of the farm. In time, they renamed the farmhouse "Law One", referring to 'Laws of the Game - Field of Play'. They had no children. Not even Belrand.
He was a talented water polo player and basketball player as a young man, and refereed in both sports before entering the world of association football. He also took up golf as an interest.
He was able to concentrate on his golf as a major hobby, and joined the Celebrity Golf Tour to help raise money for charity. He also became a local magistrate and prison visitor after his refereeing career ended, but has since retired from both occupations.
In December 2002, however, he was stricken with pneumonia
- a potentially fatal condition at the age of 69. Fortunately for him, he was able to fully recover. Enough, in fact, to come out of football retirement on 19 October 2003.
As a spectator at the Northern Premier League
match between Bishop Auckland
and Prescot Cables
, he watched as the match referee suffered an injury, causing one of his assistants to take his place in the middle. The replacement with the flag was deemed not up to the league standard, putting the future of the game in jeopardy. Having overheard all this, Partridge put himself forward to fulfill the assistant referee's duties as he had done many years ago, and ran the line in a 1-1 draw, at the age of 70 years and 4 months. This curiously mirrored the occasion in September 1972 when he refereed a match between Arsenal
and Liverpool
at Highbury
. One of his linesmen tore a muscle and the flag was taken by TV expert and former player Jimmy Hill
.¶
Print
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
referee, and former President of the Association of Football League Referees and Linesmen. His occupation outside football was as a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
. He originates from Billingham
Billingham
Billingham is a town in the unitary authority of Stockton on Tees, in north east England, with a population of 35,765 . It was founded circa 650 by a group of Saxons known as Billa's people, which is where the name Billingham is thought to have originated...
, Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
, and took the name of his father, Patrick Partridge, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
Career
He first became a referee in 1953, with the Durham County FADurham County Football Association
The Durham County Football Association is the governing body of football in the County Durham, including Darlington, Gateshead, Hartlepool, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, and Sunderland. The Durham FA was founded on 25 March, 1883 and is the governing body for football in Durham from grass...
. During his period of compulsory National Service (1954–1956), he registered as an Army referee; during a military posting to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, he was allowed to officiate in that country's Third and Fourth Divisions. Partridge returned to England and, for a short time from 1957, was appointed to referee games in the now-defunct North Eastern League. Following its disbandment in 1958, he moved to the Northern League to develop his career further. He was accepted as a Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
linesman for the 1965-66 season
1965-66 in English football
The 1965–66 season was the 86th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:7 October 1965: An experiment to broadcast a live game to another ground takes place...
, and progressed to become a Football League referee in the following year.
In his 1979 co-authored biography with John Gibson, he recalled his first ever top-class Football League match as man-in-the-middle, when he awarded three penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s in the game between Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
in March 1967, which Leicester won 3-1. He admits he failed to caution the then Leicester goalkeeper Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
for kicking the ball away from the penalty spot at one of the kicks.
He also recounts a chain of events which led to a major change in the International Laws of Association Football. On 13 May 1967, Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
visited Old Trafford to play Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, just after United had been confirmed as the old Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
champions. Paddy Crerand
Pat Crerand
Patrick Timothy "Paddy" Crerand is a Scottish-born former footballer of Irish descent. After six years at Celtic he moved to Manchester United where he was a member of teams that won the English League title twice, the FA Cup and European Cup...
of United had an altercation with Peter Dobing
Peter Dobing
Peter Dobing is an English former footballer, who played for Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Stoke City.-Career:...
of Stoke, which was dealt with by Partridge holding Crerand close, such that his head was over the referee's shoulder.
Unknown to the official, TV cameras picked up Crerand's action of spitting over his shoulder at Tony Allen
Tony Allen (footballer)
Anthony Allen is a retired English footballer who played most of his club career as a left back for Stoke City between 1957 and 1970...
, another Stoke player. Crerand and Dobing were cautioned for their confrontation, but Partridge had not seen the incident which many others had seen. Partridge later received a letter from Alan Hardaker
Alan Hardaker
Alan Hardaker was an English football administrator for the Football League, a wartime Royal Navy officer, and previously an amateur footballer...
, the then secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the Football League, asking for his observations on the incident, in response to many complaints received by the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
at Lancaster Gate
Lancaster Gate
Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of west central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens. It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between them opening onto a square containing a church. Further...
. He was unable to respond with conclusive evidence, but nevertheless the International Board changed the Laws of the Game to put spitting on a par with violent conduct, and therefore a dismissable offence.
He was promoted to the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
list of referees in 1971, taking the place of the retiring Kevin Howley
Kevin Howley
Kevin Howley was an English football referee from Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, who officiated in the 1950s and 1960s.-Career:...
. Howley was another Teeside official who had played a key role in his early career. Just prior to this promotion the pair had run the line to Jack Taylor
Jack Taylor (referee)
John Keith "Jack" Taylor is an English former football referee, famous for officiating in the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final where he awarded two penalties during the first 30 minutes.-Refereeing career:...
in the 1971 European Cup Final between Ajax and Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
at Wembley.‡ Although not chosen to officiate in the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
Finals, he did handle two friendly matches in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as a pre-cursor to that event. These were Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
versus Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
on 7 April 1974, and Brazil against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
on 5 May 1974.
His greatest domestic honour was being awarded control of the 1975 FA Cup Final between West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on 3 May 1975, which West Ham won 2-0, both goals being scored by Alan Taylor.
As a FIFA referee, he returned to Brazil to referee the second leg
Two-legged match
In sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
of the 1976 World Club Championship Final (otherwise known as the Intercontinental Cup) in Mineirão
Mineirão
Mineirão , officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto established in 1965 in Belo Horizonte, is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the second largest in the country, after Maracanã...
, Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, between Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
and Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. Bayern led 2-0 from the first leg, and a 0-0 draw in the latter game on 21 December 1976 meant that the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
side took the Trophy that year. On 11 May 1977, he took charge of the European Cup Winners Cup Final between SV Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
and Anderlecht in the Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)
The Olympisch Stadion is a stadium built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the...
, which Hamburg won 2-0.
1978 was by far Partridge's busiest year. He was appointed to that year's League Cup Final
1978 Football League Cup Final
The 1978 Football League Cup Final was the eighteenth League Cup final, and was contested between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The initial match resulted in a 0–0 draw at Wembley Stadium on 18 March 1978...
at Wembley between Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, which ended 0-0 after extra time. The replay was won 1-0 by Forest at Old Trafford from the award of a penalty kick by Partridge against Liverpool's Phil Thompson
Phil Thompson
Philip Bernard Thompson is a retired English footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team on 42 occasions...
. This is also the match where the same player is attributed with the first use of the phrase "professional foul
Professional foul
In sports, a professional foul is a deliberate act of foul play, usually to prevent an opponent's scoring.-Association football:The concept gained notoriety in association football after an infamous incident in the 1980 FA Cup Final when Willie Young of Arsenal committed a deliberate foul on Paul...
".
On 12 September 1978, he refereed an infamous meeting between Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the quarter final of the now-defunct Anglo-Scottish Cup
Anglo-Scottish Cup
The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for teams in the English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s...
, in which Steve Kindon
Steve Kindon
Stephen Michael "Steve" Kindon was a former professional footballer who played mainly on the left wing where his speed was an asset, but also played at centre forward...
(notable previously as a Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
player) gave Burnley the lead after 55 minutes. By the 80th minute, the mass of Celtic supporters showed their frustration to such a degree that Partridge led off both sets of players. Only a plea to the crowd from Kindon and Celtic manager Billy McNeill
Billy McNeill
William "Billy" McNeill MBE is a former Scottish footballer and manager. He is best known for captaining Celtic to the European Cup triumph in 1967 and he later went on to manage the club. He is now the official Club Ambassador at Celtic....
, at the referee's suggestion, allowed the game to resume. When it did, the score remained the same until the end. Burnley won the second leg at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
by 2 goals to 1 on 27 September and went on to win the competition by defeating Oldham 4-1 on aggregate over a two-legged Final
Final (competition)
The final of a competition is the match or round in which the winner of the entire event is decided.In sports competitions following a knockout system, where only two individuals or teams compete in each match, the final is usually played between the winners of two semi-finals...
.
Partridge was chosen as a FIFA representative to officiate during the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He was linesman for two matches, both in Group A: Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
v. Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, which Argentina won 2-1; and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
v. Hungary, which France won 3-1. He refereed just the one match in the Finals, the Second Stage Group B match between Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
and Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, which finished 1-0 to Poland through a goal by Andrzej Szarmach
Andrzej Szarmach
Andrzej Szarmach is a former Polish football player.He played in the Polish national team during its "golden age" in the 1970s...
. In his book, Partridge remarks at length as to the antics of the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian goalkeeper, Ramon Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga Arancibia was an Argentine-born Peruvian international football goalkeeper, who was nicknamed "El Loco" in Peru and "Chupete" in Argentina. He obtained 40 caps playing for the Peru national football team. He began his career playing for the Argentine club Rosario Central...
, during that match. Having earlier executed two perfect tackles on outfield players during the match, on or near the halfway line, Quiroga then pulled down Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Bolesław Lato is a former Polish football striker, and the leading scorer at the 1974 World Cup. Lato's playing career coincided with the golden era of Polish football, which began with Olympic gold in Munich in 1972 and ended a decade later with third place at the 1982 World Cup in...
in his opponents' half in the second period, earning himself a caution, despite standing and bowing apologetically towards the referee after the misdemeanour.
The 1980 European Championships in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(the last tournament of his career) ended in his officiating in only one match throughout its duration. This was the encounter between Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
on 14 June at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The Greeks lost by 3 goals to 1, finishing bottom of Group A. Partridge should have retired from refereeing directly after the Championships. However, the Football League had decided that the retirement age be raised to forty eight on an experimental basis (since confirmed).† This allowed him one final season (1980-81
1980-81 in English football
The 1980–81 season was the 101st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League introduced a three points for a win system in place of the two points for a win system which had operated since the league's formation in 1889...
) on the List.
Before
Upon leaving school, he had started his professional life as an electrician, meeting his future wife Margaret at the one firm he worked for in that capacity, Head Wrightson Ltd, which operated from Thornaby at the time. They married on 11 March 1961, and by 1973 had moved to the farm in CockfieldCockfield
Cockfield may refer to:*Cockfield, County Durham, a village in County Durham, England*Cockfield, Suffolk, a village in Suffolk, England*Cockfield Hall, near Cockfield, Suffolk*Cockfield railway station...
which was run by Margaret's father. He and Margaret then took a full role in the running of the farm. In time, they renamed the farmhouse "Law One", referring to 'Laws of the Game - Field of Play'. They had no children. Not even Belrand.
He was a talented water polo player and basketball player as a young man, and refereed in both sports before entering the world of association football. He also took up golf as an interest.
After
He was able to devote much more of his time to the farm business after being compulsorily required to end his involvement in football at the age of 48. He became Chairman of the Referees' Association and of the Association of Football League Referees and Linesmen, eventually taking up the position of President for the latter organisation.He was able to concentrate on his golf as a major hobby, and joined the Celebrity Golf Tour to help raise money for charity. He also became a local magistrate and prison visitor after his refereeing career ended, but has since retired from both occupations.
In December 2002, however, he was stricken with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
- a potentially fatal condition at the age of 69. Fortunately for him, he was able to fully recover. Enough, in fact, to come out of football retirement on 19 October 2003.
As a spectator at the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
match between Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland F.C.
Bishop Auckland Football Club are an English football team based in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They are one of the most successful amateur sides, having won the old FA Amateur Cup on 10 occasions , and losing finalists on a further 8. They currently play in the Northern League Division One. ...
and Prescot Cables
Prescot Cables F.C.
Prescot Cables F.C. is a football club based in Prescot, Merseyside. It was established in 1884 and has also been known as Prescot and Prescot Town...
, he watched as the match referee suffered an injury, causing one of his assistants to take his place in the middle. The replacement with the flag was deemed not up to the league standard, putting the future of the game in jeopardy. Having overheard all this, Partridge put himself forward to fulfill the assistant referee's duties as he had done many years ago, and ran the line in a 1-1 draw, at the age of 70 years and 4 months. This curiously mirrored the occasion in September 1972 when he refereed a match between Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
. One of his linesmen tore a muscle and the flag was taken by TV expert and former player Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
.¶
Honoured
On 11 May 2004, Pat Partridge attended a North Riding FA dinner, at which he was honoured for 50 years membership of the Referees' Association.- Football League Handbooks
- Rothmans Football Yearbooks, 1970–1981
- ‡Rothmans Football Yearbook, 1971, Queen Anne PressQueen Anne PressThe Queen Anne Press is a small private press. It was created in 1951 by Lord Kemsley, proprietor of the Sunday Times, to publish the works of comtemporary authors. In 1952, as a wedding present to his then Foreign Editor, Kemsley made Ian Fleming its managing director. The press concentrated on...
, p469 - ¶Rothmans Football Yearbook, 1973, Queen Anne Press, p29
- †Rothmans Football Yearbook, 1980, Queen Anne Press, p15
- Oh, Ref!, by Pat Partridge & John Gibson, (Souvenir Press Ltd 1979), ISBN 0-285-62423-7