Gary S. Willard (3 September 1959 – May 2024) was an English football referee. He officiated in the Football League and the Premier League, and for FIFA. He came from Worthing in Sussex.[2] He maintained an involvement in top-class football after retiring in 2000.[2][3] His other occupation was as an officer for the Inland Revenue.[4]
| Full name | Gary S Willard | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
3 September 1959[1] Worthing, Sussex, England | ||
| Died | May 2024 (aged 64) | ||
| Other occupation | Inland Revenue Officer | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1990–1994 | Football League | Referee | |
| 1994–2000 | Premier League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1996–1999 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Career
editWillard became a referee for the Football League in 1990, and was promoted to the Premier League list of referees in 1994. He became a FIFA referee in 1996.
On 27 January 1998, he was referee for the Football League Cup semi-final first leg between Liverpool and Middlesbrough, which was a 2–1 home win.[5] He also controlled the semi-final second leg the following year in the same competition, when Spurs won 1–0 at Wimbledon on 16 February 1999, for an aggregate win by that score.[6]
On 28 March 1998, Willard was involved in a Premier League game at Oakwell Stadium between Barnsley and Liverpool - which finished 2–3. He sent off three players from the home side – Darren Barnard, Chris Morgan and Darren Sheridan – in the second half, causing play to be suspended for five minutes after Willard, having been chased by an interloper, was escorted off the pitch by stewards for his own protection until order was restored. He had to be given a police escort off the pitch after the game.[7]
His final Premiership game was West Ham's 4–0 win over Middlesbrough at Upton Park on 16 May 1999,[8] but he continued to referee for FIFA. The English referees' chief at the time, Philip Don, stated that Willard had not taken any Premier League appointments due to "personal reasons".[9]
Death
editOn 21 May 2024, it was announced that Willard had died after a battle with leukaemia.[10]
References
edit- ^ Birthdate confirmation: zerozero.eu website.
- ^ a b Town of residence and activities after retirement: The Argus (Brighton) website.
- ^ Fitness problems in 1999, and activities after retirement: The Argus (Brighton) website.
- ^ Other occupation: Daily Telegraph website.
- ^ League Cup semi-final first leg, Liverpool v. Middlesbrough, 1998: soccerbase.com website.
- ^ League Cup semi-final second leg, Wimbledon v. Spurs, 1999: soccerbase.com website.
- ^ Three players sent off and crowd trouble, Barnsley v. Liverpool, 1998: BBC News website.
- ^ Last Premier League match, West Ham v. Middlesbrough, 1999: soccerbase.com website.
- ^ Three yellow cards equals one red, Lausanne Sports v. Celta Vigo, UEFA Cup (also Philip Don's quote): Daily Telegraph website.
- ^ "Former referee Gary Willard passes away after illness". EFL. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
External links
edit- Gary Willard Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com (incomplete)
- Mark Hodkinson's view of the Barnsley match: excerpt from "Life at the Top", Mark Hodkinson, Queen Anne Press, 1998, ISBN 1-85291-602-8