Peter N. Willis (26 October 1937 – 20 July 2021) was an English association football
referee, who operated in
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
. He originated from
Newfield, near
Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and lived in
Meadowfield
Meadowfield is a small village in County Durham, England, situated approximately two miles south-west of Durham on the A690. It is situated within the civil parish of Brandon and Byshottles.
The village consists mainly of one road of terraced h ...
. His other occupation was as a police officer.
Early life
He was educated at Spennymoor Grammar School, and later played amateur football for
Tow Law Town. He was signed by
Newcastle United, but never played above reserve level for them, eventually giving up to join the police force. He served at
Cassop and
Quarrington Hill, also playing football for their local teams. Throughout his career, his wife Helen had been "hugely supportive".
[Main reference](_blank)
for much of the information: article at ''Darlington and Stockton Times'' website.
Career
Before one of those local matches in 1963, the appointed referee failed to turn up. Willis took charge of the game, and soon after formally trained as a referee.
He became a Football League
linesman in 1968. He was promoted to the supplementary list of referees in 1971 and then the full list in 1972.
He was appointed to the
Football League Cup Final of 1982, when
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
defeated
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...
3–1, after
extra time.
Willis refereed the
1985 FA Cup Final
The 1985 FA Cup Final was the 104th final of the FA Cup. It took place on 18 May 1985 at Wembley Stadium, and was contested by Manchester United and holders Everton. United won by a single goal, scored in extra time by Norman Whiteside, when he ...
between
Manchester United and
Everton, which United won 1–0, courtesy of a
Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside (born 7 May 1965) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and striker.
Whiteside began his career at Manchester United, signing professional forms in 1982 at the age of 17 and quickly be ...
goal during extra time. This appointment made him one of very few non-FIFA referees to control both major English Cup Finals. In the 78th minute of normal time he sent off
Kevin Moran of Manchester United after a foul on Everton's
Peter Reid
Peter Reid (born 20 June 1956) is an English football manager, pundit and former player.
A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career. He built his reputation as one of England's brightest midfield tale ...
away from goal. In a 2002 newspaper article, Willis commented: "Moran just kicked him. Peter Reid might well have gone higher up in the air than he needed to but I saw what happened and I had a decision to make. I either put the whistle on the ground and walked off, or applied the laws of the game and sent him off."
Moran put his side of it in a 2006 interview: "... I didn't think it was a foul; I had no intention of pulling Peter Reid down and felt I never touched him. I went into the tackle from the side and his momentum flicked him over, as if I'd clattered him. I couldn't believe it when I got a straight red."
Moran therefore became the first player ever to be dismissed from the field of play in an FA Cup Final. Willis said: "It's never caused me a problem. I've never felt guilty about it, because it was the right decision. I just wish it hadn't happened because I'd rather be remembered for other reasons." (The Red Card was not shown, because Red & Yellow Cards were not shown in English Football League matches between January 1981 and August 1987.)
Following this match he had one final season on the league list (1985–1986). His last match was at Goodison Park where Everton needed to beat Southampton to have any chance of retaining the league title. They did indeed win (6–1) but Liverpool won at Chelsea to claim the honour.
He is said to be one of only five
freemasons to have been in charge of an FA Cup Final.
He was president of the Referees' Association from 1984 to 2002. He suffered a stroke in 2000, which was a factor in his deciding to stand down from the presidency.
At the annual dinner of the Durham County Referees' Society, held at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on 23 November 2002, Willis was honoured with a life membership of the Referees' Association.
Personal life and death
Willis died on 20 July 2021, at the age of 83.
References
Print
* Football League Handbooks, 1968–1970
* Rothmans Football Yearbooks, 1971–1986
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Peter
1937 births
2021 deaths
British police officers
English football referees
FA Cup Final referees
Sportspeople from Bishop Auckland
Tow Law Town F.C. players
People educated at Spennymoor Grammar School
Association footballers not categorized by position
English footballers
English Freemasons