Memories of "Tiny" Wharton in Old Firm games

[The Widow's Son 399]

Seems the pitches were muddier, the tackles fiercer, the crowds louder, the songs more bitter in the old days.  More arrests too perhaps.  I only have vague recollections of Mr. Wharton refereeing Old Firm games, largely cup finals.  I met him quite a few years ago and he was kindly and very well-spoken if cautious.  Well-respected by both sets of fans if I recall correctly.  Now that is saying something for Celtic fans.  Wikipedia confirms he did officiate at a good few cup finals in the 1960's and perhaps other Old Firm games too.  Remember a bad-tempered affair, late 1960's, early 1970's when he was the ref.  I think that a Celtic player opened the scoring in his own net but I have few recollections of that day.  Can any other, more seasoned bears help me out with this one?

[STILLGAME 55 4,128]

2 hours ago, The Widow's Son said:

Seems the pitches were muddier, the tackles fiercer, the crowds louder, the songs more bitter in the old days.  More arrests too perhaps.  I only have vague recollections of Mr. Wharton refereeing Old Firm games, largely cup finals.  I met him quite a few years ago and he was kindly and very well-spoken if cautious.  Well-respected by both sets of fans if I recall correctly.  Now that is saying something for Celtic fans.  Wikipedia confirms he did officiate at a good few cup finals in the 1960's and perhaps other Old Firm games too.  Remember a bad-tempered affair, late 1960's, early 1970's when he was the ref.  I think that a Celtic player opened the scoring in his own net but I have few recollections of that day.  Can any other, more seasoned bears help me out with this one?

absolutely hated him as a ref in our games against that shower of shite but that's just my opinion 

my brother if he was alive today would tell he worked for a company owned by wharton and he was a prick

so what this means is my thoughts + my late brothers thoughts 

= Wharton was an absolute prick

[Johnny Dangerously 7,563]

7 hours ago, STILLGAME 55 said:

absolutely hated him as a ref in our games against that shower of shite but that's just my opinion 

my brother if he was alive today would tell he worked for a company owned by wharton and he was a prick

so what this means is my thoughts + my late brothers thoughts 

= Wharton was an absolute prick

Yeah I was only young boy when he was ref and thought he was a bastard of a ref too. I've thought that about most refs though, ha

How he kept up with play I'll never know guy was well overweight.

[eejay the dj 31,964]

The fact that the beggars dominated in this period and they themselves respected him ,tells you quite a lot 

The Craigy buoy Thompson of yesteryear 

He got an incredible amount of OF games    and especially cup finals .

It was a period in my opinion where the first shift in power took place within the Sfa mid 60s.

This opinion is only based on reading plenty of books when I was younger .

He gave scum 2 pens in Lcf in 66/67 season in which they won .They were said to be controversial 

 

[weehank 41]

He was a guid man :)

 

 

[jcb 1,167]

7 hours ago, The Widow's Son said:

Seems the pitches were muddier, the tackles fiercer, the crowds louder, the songs more bitter in the old days.  More arrests too perhaps.  I only have vague recollections of Mr. Wharton refereeing Old Firm games, largely cup finals.  I met him quite a few years ago and he was kindly and very well-spoken if cautious.  Well-respected by both sets of fans if I recall correctly.  Now that is saying something for Celtic fans.  Wikipedia confirms he did officiate at a good few cup finals in the 1960's and perhaps other Old Firm games too.  Remember a bad-tempered affair, late 1960's, early 1970's when he was the ref.  I think that a Celtic player opened the scoring in his own net but I have few recollections of that day.  Can any other, more seasoned bears help me out with this one?

February 1970 is the game you're referring to i think.

Scottish cup game at Celtic park where we lost 3-1

Jim Craig scored an own goal and Willie Johnston congratulated him by patting him on the head iirc.

I wasn't at the game but remember the pitch was just a  mud heap and that Davie Hay scored from 25 yards.

[theiconicman 3,013]

26 minutes ago, weehank said:

He was a guid man :)

 

 

Doesn't mean anything in a footballing sense. Plenty of brethren support the filth.  

[Shuggy 1,308]

Before my time but I remember him in clips as being overweight which made me think the game back then was played at a slower pace.

 

 

[the drummer 414]

He was in the steel stock holding business same as Murray used to love it when he would indicate that a player took a dive , he would bend over from the waist down in Basil Fawlty style its a wonder someone never kicked him up the arse bishop Brennan  style .

[The Widow's Son 399]

Big thanks to all who replied to my post.  Big Vancouver shout-out to JCB for the details of this game which had me scuttling to the bookcase in my den to dredge up details from a Glasgow Herald almanac of Old Firm fixtures.  Too many years, too many beers ............. but I'm clean and sober now.  

 

 

[STILLGAME 55 4,128]

38 minutes ago, The Widow's Son said:

Big thanks to all who replied to my post.  Big Vancouver shout-out to JCB for the details of this game which had me scuttling to the bookcase in my den to dredge up details from a Glasgow Herald almanac of Old Firm fixtures.  Too many years, too many beers ............. but I'm clean and sober now.  

 

 

have a drink you'll get over it

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

Wouldn't pass the fitness test to be a ref these days, he made mistakes like the rest  but was generally pretty fair and far more competent than the shit we have nowadays.