Eric Thomas Jennings(22 January 1923 – June 1988) was an Englishfootballreferee,who operated inthe Football Leagueand forFIFA.In his refereeing years he was based inStourbridgein theWest Midlands.Outside football he was employed as a technical representative for a water treatment company.
 Jennings in 1969 | |||
| Full name | Eric Thomas Jennings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
22 January 1923 Worcester,England | ||
| Died |
June 1988 Hereford,England | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1954–1970 | Football League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1966–1970 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Career
editJennings was promoted to the Football League referees List in 1954, aged only 31.
By the mid-1960s he was a leading English official and this was marked by his ascendancy to the FIFA List in 1966. His experience of officiating between nations was limited mainly tofriendly matches,which includedEast Germany's 2–0 win againstRomaniaat theStadion der Freundschafton 21 September 1966,[1]and the 2–2 draw between theRepublic of IrelandandPolandatDalymount Parkon 15 May 1968.[2]He also handled games in theHome Internationalcompetition of the time, such asNorthern IrelandversusScotlandatWindsor Park,Belfast,on 18 April 1970.[3]
On 13 November 1968 he went toAmsterdamto refereeAjaxversusFenerbahçein aEuropean Cupsecond round tie,[4]but bettered this later that season on 13 April 1969 with a return to theDutchclub for itssemi-finalagainstSpartak Trnava.[5]
The following season (1969–70) was his last before retirement, and he was awarded theFA Cup FinalbetweenChelseaandLeedsatWembleyon 11 April 1970 as the climax to his long and successful career. This game ended in adraw,[6]and Jennings also refereed the replay at Old Trafford. Jennings allowed rough play by both sides throughout, playing theadvantageto its full extent. He booked only one player, Ian Hutchinson of Chelsea, during the game.[7]
It was to be another seven years until the Final was given to a referee in his retirement season, whenBob Matthewsonhandled theManchester UnitedversusLiverpoolgame. Jennings' career also overlapped with another top League and FIFA referee from his home town -Ken Burns.
References
edit- FA Cup Final programme 1970, p12-13
- Football League Handbooks, 1954–1970
- Ionescu, Romeo (2004) The Complete Results & Line-Ups of the European Champions Clubs' Cup 1955–1991, Soccer Books Limited.
- Gilbert Upton (2005) Football League and Premiership Referees 1888 to 2005, Soccerdata
Internet
edit- ^East Germany v. RomaniaArchived29 July 2007 atarchive.today,friendly match, 1966:srcf.ucam.orgstatistical website.
- ^Republic of Ireland v. PolandArchived2 September 2007 at theWayback Machine,friendly match, 1968:srcf.ucam.orgstatistical website.
- ^Home Internationals,Northern Ireland v. Scotland, 1970:rsssfstatistical website.
- ^Ajax v. Fenerbahce[permanent dead link],European Cup 2nd round, 1968:soccerbase.com website.
- ^Ajax v. Spartak TrnavaArchived27 September 2007 at theWayback Machine,European cup semi-final, 1969: soccerbase.com website.
- ^Match detailsArchived29 October 2008 at theWayback Machine,FA Cup Final 1970: soccerbase.com website.
- ^"1970 FA Cup final: The most brutal game in English football history".BBC Sport.27 April 2020.