Eric Jennings

infobox football official
name = Eric Jennings


fullname = Eric T Jennings
dateofbirth = c. 1923
cityofbirth = Stourbridge, West Midlands
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
otheroccupation =
years = 1954-1970
league = Football League
role = Referee
internationalyears = 1966-1970
confederation = FIFA listed
internationalrole = Referee

Eric T. Jennings (born c. 1923) is an English former football referee, who operated in the Football League and for FIFA. He comes from Stourbridge in the West Midlands.

Career

Jennings was promoted to the Football League referees List in 1954, aged only 31.

By the mid-1960s he was a leading English official and this was marked by his ascendancy to the FIFA List in around 1966. His experience of officiating between nations was limited mainly to friendly matches, which included East Germany's 2-0 win against Romania at the Stadion der Freundschaft on 21 September 1966, [ [http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~nfm24/football/1966e.html East Germany v. Romania] , friendly match, 1966: "srcf.ucam.org" statistical website.] and the 2-2 draw between the Republic of Ireland and Poland at Dalymount Park on 15 May 1968. [ [http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~nfm24/football/1968e.html Republic of Ireland v. Poland] , friendly match, 1968: "srcf.ucam.org" statistical website.] He also handled games in the Home International competition of the time, such as Northern Ireland versus Scotland at Windsor Park, Belfast, on 18 April 1970. [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/scot-intres1970.html Home Internationals] , Northern Ireland v. Scotland, 1970: "rsssf" statistical website.]

On 13 November 1968 he went to Amsterdam to referee Ajax versus Fenerbahçe in a European Cup second round tie, [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=316794 Ajax v. Fenerbahce] , European Cup 2nd round, 1968: soccerbase.com website.] but bettered this later that season on 13 April 1969 with a return to the Dutch club for its semi-final against Spartak Trnava. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=316806 Ajax v. Spartak Trnava] , European cup semi-final, 1969: soccerbase.com website.]

The following season (1969-70) was his last before retirement, and he was awarded the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Leeds at Wembley on 11 April 1970 as the climax to his long and successful career. This game ended in a draw, [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=258936 Match details] , FA Cup Final 1970: soccerbase.com website.] and in those days a replay was required. However, it was remarked in a newspaper article that the replay [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=258937 Match details] , Final replay, 1970: soccerbase.com website.] at Old Trafford on 29 April 1970 was disfigured by "undertones of violence...not helped by inefficient refereeing" and that "Jennings was a figure of bland indifference as players went over the ball, and as others fell before crushingly illegal challenges", [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19991220/ai_n14266231 Article on the 1970 FA Cup Final replay] : The Independent website (20 December 1999), via the "FindArticles" service.] booking just one player, Ian Hutchinson. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060304/ai_n16191378 Only one caution] in a "war-like" FA Cup Final replay, 1970: The Independent website (4 March 2006), via the "FindArticles" service.] It was to be another seven years until the Final was given to a referee in his retirement season, when Bob Matthewson handled the Manchester United versus Liverpool game.

Jennings' career also overlapped with another top League and FIFA referee from his home town - Ken Burns.

References

Print

*Football League Handbooks, 1954-1970
*Ionescu, Romeo (2004) The Complete Results & Line-Ups of the European Champions Clubs’ Cup 1955-1991, Soccer Books Limited.
*Gilbert Upton (2005) Football League and Premiership Referees 1888 to 2005, Soccerdata

Internet