PRESIDENTS PEN PICTURES

The following Pen Pictures are local Rotherham Officials interviewed by our President Bill Webb

Ian Smith

Presidents Pen Portrait by Bill Webb

I visited one of our colleagues the other night to carry out my first pen portrait; the referee in question was IAN SMITH.

Ian lives in Greasbrough, has always been a Greasbrough lad and went to Greasbrough Junior School until eleven and then attended Wingfield Comprehensive. Ian left school and started working for Rotherham Borough Council, starting at the bottom and is now Team Leader of Adaptations, a job described as very responsible but very varied and interesting.

Ian is married to Jayne, has been for 18 years and has two children, Liam 17 and Katy who is 12.

I asked Ian to describe himself in 5 words, and with assistance from his wife Jayne he said, honest, reliable, conscientious, predictable and likeable.

When asked if he would like to live anywhere else in the Borough the answer was “No! I love it here”.

Another question I asked Ian was if he could be famous for one day who it would be. The answer was “The Queen, the most iconic person in the world”.

My next question was who would he invite to a dinner party, dead or alive, and the four guests he would have invited would be his late and departed father, Ronnie Moore, Alan Knill and Brian Clough. Needless to say Ian loves his football and in particular Rotherham United.

We then got onto his favourite food and drink and surprisingly he loves his traditional English breakfast with all the trimmings, black pudding etc, and as regards to drink it has to be without question “EXTRA COOL Carling lager in a straight glass in Greasbrough Working Men’s Club.

Every questionnaire has the question if marooned on a dessert island what three things would make life bearable. His answer was mobile phone, sky TV and his wife Jayne.

I then asked him to relate to me an embarrassing moment. Without hesitation he recalled after a game at Huddersfield Town FC being caught in the single bath sharing it with Richard Wigglesworth, both blushing!!!

Next question asked was what he would do with £2 million won on the lottery. His answer was sharing it with his family; their happiness would be his happiness.

Ian started refereeing twelve years ago; coming to the end of his playing career he still wanted to be involved in football. At the age of 30 Ian new he was never going to get to the top. Putting age aside Ian has done himself proud to reach the standard he has achieved. Probably his proudest moment was officiating in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. The best game to remember was the FA Youth Cup played at the famous Anfield, home of Liverpool FC.

His worst game he recalls was in the Rotherham Sunday League but Ian declined to name the team as he didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing their name in print, needless to say Ian no longer officiates on Sundays because of the threats, intimidation etc he received on that Sunday morning. Their loss, not his.

Still on football I asked him what law he would change. His answer was the offside law, as it’s too complicated at present.

I asked Ian what his final goal would be. Ian said to be a football league assistant referee, if only he was a couple of years younger.

Final Question on the night related to meeting nights. When asked how to improve or enhance the night he said he was happy with the current format but wished it was a smoke free policy.

I went away from my meeting with Ian thinking what a pleasant couple of hours I’d had, and was richer in the  knowledge of knowing there are good guys, who give to the Society rather than take.

President Bill Webb was talking to Ian Smith on Thursday 1 March 2007.