The Gloucestershire football community mourns the passing of Dave Watts at the age of 72.
One of the most well-known and respected officers in the county, he served as an arbitrator for more than 50 years.
A former Naunton Park pupil, he was the longest-serving councilor of the Gloucestershire Football Association (GFA) and founded the Cheltenham Sunday League in 1968, which has had a lasting impact on sport in the region.
GFA chairman Roger Burden was among those to pay tribute, saying it was “a huge loss for local football”.
The Stroud and District Football League described Dave as: “a tremendous servant and supporter of the Cheltenham League and Gloucestershire County Cups and local grassroots football in general.”
Dave played for Bishop’s Cleeve as a teenager and then formed his own club, Holbeck Rangers, for which he was club secretary.
An ankle problem forced him to stop playing at the age of 20 on a doctor’s advice, but he was determined to continue pursuing the sport he loved and he responded to a call for new referees published in the Gloucestershire Echo.
England were world champions and there were no yellow or red cards.
He completed a training course at Victory Club, Cheltenham and his first match at center was Spirax Sarco against Collins Brothers Evesham.
The Engineers beat the pie and sausage makers 2-0 at the Burrows Playing Field in Leckhampton.
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Three years later, Watts was promoted from third to second grade, allowing him to umpire at the County League level, with Worrall Hill against Thornbury being his first senior-level appearance.
As well as working in his father’s shop, Charles Watts Menswear on Clarence Parade, then ICI Fibers and the Job Centre, Dave established himself as one of the most recognizable whistleblowers in the Cheltenham League.
Known for his no-nonsense approach, he earned the respect of countless players on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
In 2018, Dave said: “I want to be remembered as a referee who was tough but fair. I get along well with most teams and laugh and joke with many familiar faces.
“Some of them like to take the mick and ask me when I’m going to pack it and some like to yell things at me around town, but I tend to just smile and say, ‘See you on Saturday!’ I think the teams know what they’re getting from me.”
Dave also felt that first impressions matter when a referee arrives before kick-off.
“You have to look good, of course with the right gear and clean boots,” he said.
“The first thing players notice is your looks, and there’s no point in being unkempt.”
Dave Watts was known for attending the FA Cup Final every year from 1967 to 2019 and again in 2021
Dave was a keen supporter of Tottenham Hotspur and Cheltenham Town and watched the Robins around his refereeing duties at every available opportunity.
He was fourth official in a handful of games at Whaddon Road, including Cheltenham’s 2-1 home win over Doncaster Rovers in 1998, in which current manager Michael Duff scored the first goal of his senior career.
He took great pride in refereeing the line for Jack Taylor (referee for the 1974 World Cup final) and Welshman Clive Thomas, who appeared at both the 1974 and 1978 World Cups and the 1976 European Championships.
Dave was also widely known for having attended every FA Cup final from 1967 (when tickets were seven shillings and sixpence) to the present day, with the exception of last year’s showpiece which was played behind closed doors.
He even traveled to the 2002 edition in a limousine with some of his fellow referees.
Five football referees from Cheltenham, including Dave Watts (front left), traveled to the FA Cup Final in a limousine in 2002
Dave was at Wembley last month to witness Leicester City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea and reaching the final for the 54th time in 2021 meant as much to him as it did more than five decades earlier.
He has traveled around Europe attending several European Cup finals and also had a passion for live music.
Whilst football dominated much of his time alongside many hours of meticulous work on his award winning allotment garden, Dave was a family man first and is survived by wife Lynn, daughter Lucy and grandson Jack.
His beloved spaniel Charlie died three days before him.
Lynn said: “Dave was a legend of the local football community who lived for football, family and our dog.”