The world’s oldest referee is 78 years old and has no intention of retiring

At the age of 78 and after 63 consecutive seasons on the pitch, the Welshman Ken Wright is the active men’s football referee with the longest career in the world, having officiated more than 5,000 matches since 1964.

His career began by chance at the age of 16, when his physical education teacher handed him a whistle to referee a school match and then suggested he take up refereeing, having seen his lack of ability with the ball at his feet: “Wrighty, you’re not cut out to be a footballer. You’ll never make it. Why don’t you try refereeing?”

His debut in the “Swansea Senior League” turned out to be a nightmare – the match ended 13–4 amid torrential rain, cold and protests from the players – so much so that Wright wanted to give up immediately: “I went home completely soaked and said: ‘Well, my career as a referee is over.'”

Despite that disastrous debut, the Welsh referee never stopped – even refereeing seven matches in six days – and, more than six decades later, he continues to take to the pitch with no thought of retiring.