Richard Beeby
Encyclopedia
Richard J. Beeby is an English
association football referee who operates in the Football League
, and has also previously handled Premier League games.
status in 1999.
His first ever match as a Football League referee was the 2–1 home win by Southend
over Plymouth
in the old Third Division
on August 7, 1999, and resulted in him having to dismiss a player, Mick Heathcote of Plymouth.
During the Second Division
match played between Colchester
and Bournemouth
at Layer Road
on September 2, 2000, Beeby was surrounded by away side players following a decision in their 3–1 defeat. This resulted in a £2,500 fine for the Dorset
club, due to "a failure to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion".
In 2004, he took charge of the old First Division Play-off Semi-final, first leg, between Crystal Palace
and Sunderland
at Selhurst Park
on May 14, 2004, and was then appointed to control the old Second Division Play-off Final between Brighton & Hove Albion
and Bristol City
at the Millennium Stadium
, Cardiff
, on May 30, 2004, when a late Leon Knight
penalty
secured promotion for the South coast team.
Although not on the Premier League list of referees, Beeby was given a "trial run" in that league on May 7, 2005, when he was man-in-the-middle for the Aston Villa
versus Manchester City
tie at Villa Park
, which ended 2–1 to City. In that year, he was also given the honour of being the referee for the FA Vase
Final. This was played on May 14, 2005 at White Hart Lane
in London
, between A.F.C. Sudbury and Didcot Town
. He also handled a Semi-final second leg in the Football League Championship Play-offs, when Preston
drew 0–0 at Derby
to ensure their place in the Final, thanks to a 2–0 first leg victory.
However, much controversy was perceived by the media in Lancashire
regarding the Championship match he took charge of on November 1, 2005 at Turf Moor
, Burnley
, when the visitors were Millwall
. After a quiet first half, "racist comments aimed at Frank Sinclair
saw visiting striker Ben May
sent off in the players tunnel at half time". Added to this, another two Millwall players were dismissed in the second half, James O'Connor of Burnley left the field after a second yellow card, and a further five yellow cards were also issued. The Bolton News
accused Beeby of "attempting to ruin another game as a spectacle as a quite staggering second half unravelled". The game ended 2–1 to the home side. May was subsequently reported to have been "considering suing referee Richard Beeby" over the circumstances of his dismissal.
Despite having already refereed his first Premier League match, and subsequently being given two more fixtures in that league during the 2005-06
season, Beeby has since been confined to operating in the three divisions of the Football League. Incidentally, on December 28, 2005, he should have taken up his next Premiership appointment at Craven Cottage
, when Fulham
met Aston Villa, but he suffered an injury in the "warm-up", and was replaced by fourth official Andy D'Urso
.
He was given further responsibility in the Play-offs in season 2006-07
, when he took control of the Football League Two Play-offs Semi-final, first leg, between Bristol Rovers
and Lincoln City
at the Memorial Stadium
on May 12, 2007.
Only fifteen minutes into his FA Cup
appointment on November 11, 2007 at Gainsborough
, who were entertaining Hartlepool
, Beeby "had to go off with a calf strain and was replaced by linesman Michael Naylor with the fourth official taking the flag".
On February 18, 2008, when Bristol City met Crystal Palace at Ashton Gate in a Championship
game, Beeby was heavily criticised by Palace manager Neil Warnock
after allowing one more minute above the announced four minutes injury time at the end of the match. During this final 60 seconds, Bristol City's Jamie McCombe
equalised Lee Hills
' second half goal for Palace. "I didn't think anybody should shake the referee's hand tonight if I am honest", Warnock said. "I think they all wanted to talk to him the ones that did, I don't think they were shaking it with any loving care. The first half he played one minute and blew on the dot as we were attacking outside their box and then he puts four up in the second half and it's four minutes and 55 seconds when they score and they are attacking. I just think it is totally out of order." Warnock was subsequently charged with "improper conduct" by the FA. In response, he "admitted the charge and requested a personal hearing".
Beeby is also listed by the Football Association as their Northamptonshire fitness coach, based in Kettering
.
, until his compulsory retirement from that activity at the age of 45 in 2007.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
association football referee who operates in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, and has also previously handled Premier League games.
Career
Beeby began his refereeing career in the local Northampton leagues, eventually attaining Football LeagueThe Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
status in 1999.
His first ever match as a Football League referee was the 2–1 home win by Southend
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
over Plymouth
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in the old Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
on August 7, 1999, and resulted in him having to dismiss a player, Mick Heathcote of Plymouth.
During the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
match played between Colchester
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
and Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
at Layer Road
Layer Road
Layer Road was a Football League stadium in Colchester, England. It was only used for football matches and was the home ground of Colchester United before being replaced by the Weston Homes Community Stadium. The stadium held spectators and was built in 1907, originally for use by Colchester Town...
on September 2, 2000, Beeby was surrounded by away side players following a decision in their 3–1 defeat. This resulted in a £2,500 fine for the Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
club, due to "a failure to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion".
In 2004, he took charge of the old First Division Play-off Semi-final, first leg, between Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
and Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
on May 14, 2004, and was then appointed to control the old Second Division Play-off Final between Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
and Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, on May 30, 2004, when a late Leon Knight
Leon Knight
Leon Leroy Knight is an English footballer who plays for Coleraine as a striker. Having begun his career with Chelsea, he spent time on loan with Queens Park Rangers, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton & Hove Albion before joining the latter permanently in 2003. Knight spent three...
penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
secured promotion for the South coast team.
Although not on the Premier League list of referees, Beeby was given a "trial run" in that league on May 7, 2005, when he was man-in-the-middle for the Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
versus Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
tie at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
, which ended 2–1 to City. In that year, he was also given the honour of being the referee for the FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
Final. This was played on May 14, 2005 at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, between A.F.C. Sudbury and Didcot Town
Didcot Town F.C.
Didcot Town F.C. are a football club based in Didcot in Oxfordshire, England. They won the FA Vase in 2005 and are currently members of Division One South & West of the Southern League, having been relegated from the Premier Division in 2010–11....
. He also handled a Semi-final second leg in the Football League Championship Play-offs, when Preston
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
drew 0–0 at Derby
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
to ensure their place in the Final, thanks to a 2–0 first leg victory.
However, much controversy was perceived by the media in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
regarding the Championship match he took charge of on November 1, 2005 at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
, Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, when the visitors were Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
. After a quiet first half, "racist comments aimed at Frank Sinclair
Frank Sinclair
Frank Mohammed Sinclair is an English-born Jamaican footballer who plays for Hendon in the Isthmian League Premier Division.-Chelsea:...
saw visiting striker Ben May
Ben May
Ben Steven May is an English footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage as a striker.May began his career at Southampton's youth academy in 1998, before playing at Fulham's centre of excellence for a year. In 2000, he moved once again, this time joining Millwall's youth set-up...
sent off in the players tunnel at half time". Added to this, another two Millwall players were dismissed in the second half, James O'Connor of Burnley left the field after a second yellow card, and a further five yellow cards were also issued. The Bolton News
The Bolton News
The Bolton News - formerly the Bolton Evening News - is a daily newspaper covering the towns of Bolton and Bury in north-western England...
accused Beeby of "attempting to ruin another game as a spectacle as a quite staggering second half unravelled". The game ended 2–1 to the home side. May was subsequently reported to have been "considering suing referee Richard Beeby" over the circumstances of his dismissal.
Despite having already refereed his first Premier League match, and subsequently being given two more fixtures in that league during the 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, Beeby has since been confined to operating in the three divisions of the Football League. Incidentally, on December 28, 2005, he should have taken up his next Premiership appointment at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
, when Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
met Aston Villa, but he suffered an injury in the "warm-up", and was replaced by fourth official Andy D'Urso
Andy D'Urso
Andrew Paul D'Urso is an English football referee in the Football League. D'Urso is based in Billericay, Essex and is a member of the Barking & Dagenham Referees Society.-Career:...
.
He was given further responsibility in the Play-offs in season 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
, when he took control of the Football League Two Play-offs Semi-final, first leg, between Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
and Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
at the Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Bristol)
The Memorial Stadium, also commonly known by its previous name of The Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in Bristol, England, dedicated to the memory of the rugby union players of the city killed during World War I...
on May 12, 2007.
Only fifteen minutes into his FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
appointment on November 11, 2007 at Gainsborough
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
, who were entertaining Hartlepool
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, Beeby "had to go off with a calf strain and was replaced by linesman Michael Naylor with the fourth official taking the flag".
On February 18, 2008, when Bristol City met Crystal Palace at Ashton Gate in a Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
game, Beeby was heavily criticised by Palace manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
after allowing one more minute above the announced four minutes injury time at the end of the match. During this final 60 seconds, Bristol City's Jamie McCombe
Jamie McCombe
Jamie Paul McCombe is an English football defender who currently plays for Huddersfield Town in Football League One, although as of 24 November 2011, he is on loan at fellow League One side Preston North End....
equalised Lee Hills
Lee Hills (footballer)
Lee Hills is an English footballer who plays for Crystal Palace as a defender.-Career:He had previously attended Christ Church School and Whitgift School in Croydon and had been a youth player at Wimbledon and Arsenal before joining Palace's academy.Hills has also represented England at under-18...
' second half goal for Palace. "I didn't think anybody should shake the referee's hand tonight if I am honest", Warnock said. "I think they all wanted to talk to him the ones that did, I don't think they were shaking it with any loving care. The first half he played one minute and blew on the dot as we were attacking outside their box and then he puts four up in the second half and it's four minutes and 55 seconds when they score and they are attacking. I just think it is totally out of order." Warnock was subsequently charged with "improper conduct" by the FA. In response, he "admitted the charge and requested a personal hearing".
Beeby is also listed by the Football Association as their Northamptonshire fitness coach, based in Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
.
UEFA involvement
Since 2005, he acted as fourth official in European club matches under the jurisdiction of UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, until his compulsory retirement from that activity at the age of 45 in 2007.
External links
- Richard Beeby Referee Statistics at Soccerbase.com