Bristol Downs League: the 130-year-old competition where every game is at home

The referees at the Bristol Downs League are not always amateur.

When Richard Morris is not running the line at a League One or League Two game, he returns to where he started in order to offer his services.

“It’s a chance for me to meet up with old friends and remember how I came up through the system and where I came from,” he said.

“It’s really important to remember who supported you so you can support the next generation.”

A week previously, he was officiating in top-of-the-table Portsmouth’s game against Cheltenham Town, before joining the 20-30 referees that gather every Saturday to officiate on the Downs.

“When you walk in the referees dressing room at the Downs there’s such a feeling of community there,” Morris added.

“So many of the guys have been coming up refereeing games on the Downs for years and years and they really are like a family.”

A stalwart of the Bristol refereeing community is Bill Bombroff. Now aged 86, he officiated matches in the old First Division at clubs including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur and in the European Cup.

Today he is the referees advisor for the Downs League, helping train new officials for the league.

“He will give you so much information, he will take you for the first week, ring you or email you on the Monday, little pointers on where you should go,” said referee Nick Baddell.

“He will leave you then for two to three weeks, then he’ll go to watch you again to see whether you’ve picked up on those bits of information he thinks you should work on.”