23 thoughts on “Pat Partridge and George Best c1975”
This looks like a match when George Best was playing for Fulham, as a Boro supporter living in a flat in Putney I was lucky that my landlord was a Fulham “Scout” he got me a job as a match steward and I was lucky to see George Best, Bobby Moore, Rodney Marsh and Alan Mullary all playing together for Fulham.
Ironically as a connection I left Head Wrightsons to work in a London in 1968.
I’m loving all these comments on Pat Partridge, he was the husband of my Dad’s cousin. It’s info that I can add to his profile on my family tree. If anyone has any other comments or photos etc linked to him I would be interested.
Pat Partridge’s wife Margaret was a lovely lady, she was a P.A. for one of the top men in the Head Wrightsons organisation at Thornaby, the farming came about through her family.
Pat Partridge started refereeing in 1953 & his Head Wrightsons colleague Alec Brown (former Football League referee) was instrumental in him becoming a referee & advised him in his early years. It took Pat twelve years to achieve Football League status in the 1965-66 season, although he was a Football League referee if Pat had a vacant date he would referee local games, for instance the week after he had Manchester United v Stoke City game with the Pat Crerand spitting incident on T.V.,he was at Teasdale Park taking charge of Head Wrightson’s game. He was one of the areas top FIFA Officials alongwith Kevin Howley. In December 2002 he had pneumonia & overcame it & on 19th Oct 2003 at the Northern Premier League game between Bishop Auckland v Prescot Cables when the referee got injured, Pat stood in & done the linsmans duties at the age of seventy years old.
I think that the rumour was right Alan, I worked in the Head Wrightsons Apprentice School 1951-52 period and when I was in the Joiners shop we always played football at lunch time on a piece of ground near the railway. Patridge played in these games and I am sure he was advised about this time to try his hand at being a ref rather than a player by some of his workmates, never expecting Pat to become one of the top refs in the World. Is Pat still with us,if so maybe he would like to comment.
Benny; Pat Partridge played for Billingham Synthonia Juniors B team, but he used to say when he gave talks he was a promising winger but he had to retire through a knee injury.
The injury didn’t stop him when doing his National Service which entailed a medical. Also in his sporting life he was a good swimmer and played water polo and also played basketball. This was before his refereeing. I knew Pat through working at Head Wrightsons at Teesdale works in the maintenance department where he served his time as an electrician and I a joiner. Worked on many jobs together.
The rumour was probably right because Pat used to give talks & say he suffered a serious knee injury as a youth player but it did stop him running round a football field till he retired at about fifty years old. Ex footballers who played till their early thirties have little chance of becoming a referee at the top, because they had to gain promotion from a class three referee to class one(present day they have about eight class levels for referees), which takes at least a season for each class promotion 3-2-1, then as a class one referee gain top marks in a feeder league (Wearside or Teesside League) to gain promotion to a contributory league (Northern league linesman (assistant referee nowadays) etc.),you have to be on a contributory league by the age of thirty seven years old because that is the closing age.
Pat Partridge was one of many referees from Head Wrightsons that made the Football League, but he was the top man who has been mentioned above that made the FIFA List. He now lives on a farm at Cockfield & he played junior football for Billingham Synthonia Juniors B Team.
I do believe it Bob. I’m pretty sure he lived at Acklam for a while. Is he still with us or has he gone to the big football game in the sky? I reckon he’d be in his 90’s now.
Believe it or not!.. before becoming interested in refereeing, Pat Partridge played basketball for a Middlesbrough team. He blamed an injury for not playing football.
As an apprentice joiner at HW it was the practice for apprentices to make tool boxes for the tradesman. I made Pat Partridges toolbox. He gave me a halfcrown (2/6p)12 1/2pence.
Pat Partridge was also an electrician,working at Head Wrightson’s Teesdale works. I worked with him occasionally as an apprentice in the 1960’s. He had the knack of finishing work just as clean as when he started.He was also a Convener for the ETU.
Pat Partridge was one of two Billingham referees that were on the FIFA list, the other was Kevin Howley who was on 1958-1971 when he retired Pat took his place 1971-1981,they both run the line to Jack Taylor in a European Cup-Final. Another top referee was Ken Lupton who is the leader of Stockton Borough Council.
Pat Partridge and George Best c1975
Picture Stockton Archive 
This looks like a match when George Best was playing for Fulham, as a Boro supporter living in a flat in Putney I was lucky that my landlord was a Fulham “Scout” he got me a job as a match steward and I was lucky to see George Best, Bobby Moore, Rodney Marsh and Alan Mullary all playing together for Fulham.
Ironically as a connection I left Head Wrightsons to work in a London in 1968.
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I’m loving all these comments on Pat Partridge, he was the husband of my Dad’s cousin. It’s info that I can add to his profile on my family tree. If anyone has any other comments or photos etc linked to him I would be interested.
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Pat Partridge’s wife Margaret was a lovely lady, she was a P.A. for one of the top men in the Head Wrightsons organisation at Thornaby, the farming came about through her family.
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Anon. She was PA to Frank Shepherd who was the Personnel Manager.
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Enid Thirlwell was Frank Shepherd’s P.A., Margaret was a Doctor somebody P.A.
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Anon. The only Doctor I remember was a Doctor Young in R&D
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I read in the News that Pat Partridge has died aged 81. RIP Pat
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Pat Partridge started refereeing in 1953 & his Head Wrightsons colleague Alec Brown (former Football League referee) was instrumental in him becoming a referee & advised him in his early years. It took Pat twelve years to achieve Football League status in the 1965-66 season, although he was a Football League referee if Pat had a vacant date he would referee local games, for instance the week after he had Manchester United v Stoke City game with the Pat Crerand spitting incident on T.V.,he was at Teasdale Park taking charge of Head Wrightson’s game. He was one of the areas top FIFA Officials alongwith Kevin Howley. In December 2002 he had pneumonia & overcame it & on 19th Oct 2003 at the Northern Premier League game between Bishop Auckland v Prescot Cables when the referee got injured, Pat stood in & done the linsmans duties at the age of seventy years old.
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I think that the rumour was right Alan, I worked in the Head Wrightsons Apprentice School 1951-52 period and when I was in the Joiners shop we always played football at lunch time on a piece of ground near the railway. Patridge played in these games and I am sure he was advised about this time to try his hand at being a ref rather than a player by some of his workmates, never expecting Pat to become one of the top refs in the World. Is Pat still with us,if so maybe he would like to comment.
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Benny; Pat Partridge played for Billingham Synthonia Juniors B team, but he used to say when he gave talks he was a promising winger but he had to retire through a knee injury.
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Before becoming a referee he played basket ball and also was a good swimmer who used to play water polo as well.
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It should have read the injury did NOT stop him running round a football field till he retired at about fifty years old.
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The injury didn’t stop him when doing his National Service which entailed a medical. Also in his sporting life he was a good swimmer and played water polo and also played basketball. This was before his refereeing. I knew Pat through working at Head Wrightsons at Teesdale works in the maintenance department where he served his time as an electrician and I a joiner. Worked on many jobs together.
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The rumour was probably right because Pat used to give talks & say he suffered a serious knee injury as a youth player but it did stop him running round a football field till he retired at about fifty years old. Ex footballers who played till their early thirties have little chance of becoming a referee at the top, because they had to gain promotion from a class three referee to class one(present day they have about eight class levels for referees), which takes at least a season for each class promotion 3-2-1, then as a class one referee gain top marks in a feeder league (Wearside or Teesside League) to gain promotion to a contributory league (Northern league linesman (assistant referee nowadays) etc.),you have to be on a contributory league by the age of thirty seven years old because that is the closing age.
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Pat Partridge is my dad’s cousin. Rumour has it he was not that good at playing football so everyone suggested he just referee as a kid!
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Pat Partridge was one of many referees from Head Wrightsons that made the Football League, but he was the top man who has been mentioned above that made the FIFA List. He now lives on a farm at Cockfield & he played junior football for Billingham Synthonia Juniors B Team.
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Oops,I got that wrong didn’t I? If you are interested in Pat, try Googling his name. There are reams on him!!
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Pat Partridge was 76 in June.
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I do believe it Bob. I’m pretty sure he lived at Acklam for a while. Is he still with us or has he gone to the big football game in the sky? I reckon he’d be in his 90’s now.
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Believe it or not!.. before becoming interested in refereeing, Pat Partridge played basketball for a Middlesbrough team. He blamed an injury for not playing football.
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As an apprentice joiner at HW it was the practice for apprentices to make tool boxes for the tradesman. I made Pat Partridges toolbox. He gave me a halfcrown (2/6p)12 1/2pence.
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Pat Partridge was also an electrician,working at Head Wrightson’s Teesdale works. I worked with him occasionally as an apprentice in the 1960’s. He had the knack of finishing work just as clean as when he started.He was also a Convener for the ETU.
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Pat Partridge was one of two Billingham referees that were on the FIFA list, the other was Kevin Howley who was on 1958-1971 when he retired Pat took his place 1971-1981,they both run the line to Jack Taylor in a European Cup-Final. Another top referee was Ken Lupton who is the leader of Stockton Borough Council.
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