A refereeing icon at four score years and five: Pat Smith

Just a couple of weeks ago, Pat Smith, one of the most familiar names in U.S. refereeing—and with good reason, as you will soon see—celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday.  Sitting here in Columbia, Missouri, preparing to share Thanksgiving (and my own birthday) with my wife Jane, it occurred to me that this week would be a good time for many of us to give thanks to guys like Pat for how they helped to build a referee program out of—well, essentially nothing.  Over the years I knew that he was “in my corner” as my career flowed and ebbed and flowed again, but he was there for many other referees too.  Read on . . .

  Can a life in sport start with a failure?  That’s what happened with Pat!  Picked to play for his school team in England at the age of thirteen, his debut was in his own words, “a total failure”, and his Dad was there to see it.  With the parental bluntness I remember from my own schooldays, his father suggested that Pat find something else to do with his life, because football was not going to take him far!
    But one of Pat’s friends went on to play for Arsenal in the 1950s, and he told him that he had a defender’s mindset, not an attacker’s, and that was where he should make his effort.  The attacking debutant who failed became a successful defender who played until he was thirty-five, by which time his legs were no longer as willing as his heart was, and so he retired.  A sound heart and no legs were perfect combination for a referee, and that’s what Pat became.  But I’m getting ahead of myself here, because there was a lot of playing that came first.
    In 1941, in wartime Britain, Pat Smith joined the Royal Marines, serving on naval vessels until the war ended, when he became principally land-based.  One of his favorite postings was to the Berlin garrison, where he could play more football than the occasional matches playing for his ship.  Chosen to represent the garrison in “goodwill” matches against the French (a draw) and a German professional club (a loss), he played in the Olympic Stadium (which later was the site of the 2006 World Cup Final).
    Pat left the marines in 1951 and (of course!) continued playing in Saturday and Sunday leagues in England, before taking the big step of emigrating to the United States, a country so barren of soccer (he thought) that our immigrant didn’t even pack a pair of boots.  But to his surprise, there was a team in Dayton, Ohio, and it was long enough after the war that playing for a German club would not be a problem.  Enemies become friends when you take politics out of the picture.
    Edelweiss was the name of the club, German by name but multicultural and diverse by nature: German-Hungarians, Austrians, an American, a Swiss, an Italian, and an immigrant Englishman at the back.  The two-state league had teams in Columbus, Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Dayton, and as Pat described it, the teams made a decent amateur league without a super-league attitude.
    Then in 1958, he was asked to run the first university team at the University of Dayton.  From learning the game with a typical English mentality about it, Pat had progressed to the European-style Edelweiss club, then to this university side, which had a South American outlook, with players from Mexico, Chile, Peru, a pan-American group with some Europeans and Americans.  Now it was his turn to bellow at players from the touchline!  And then, his career changed again…
    One day he was watching his old club Edelweiss, when someone said to him: “We need a referee for this game, and you are it.”  That was Pat’s official training and introduction to officiating, which continued with amateur and college games.
    He joined the college chapter of referees, eventually becoming President of the state organization.  Then after filling in for a referee at Earlham College in Indiana, he continued to referee there for fifteen years, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate for his contributions to soccer.  Throughout that time, he was doing mostly college games, including many play-off games, because unless he lived in Chicago, St. Louis or Cleveland, a referee didn’t see much top-class soccer.  In 1972, in recognition of the work he did for the organization, Pat was elected President of the new N.I.S.O.A.
    By that time well-known in the refereeing community, and with the advent of the professional North American Soccer League, he was selected by Eddie Pearson to officiate in that competition.  Numerous games on the line, and some in the middle followed.  You might recognize a face or two in this archival photograph, published by permission of the Smithsonian Institution and Gary LeMay.
    In his career, Pat refereed six N.A.I.A. semi-finals and finals, two N.C.A.A. finals and numerous semi-finals.  He did the first N.A.S.L. match in Fenway Park, plus two Bronze Boot games in St. Louis’ Busch Stadium.  Professional teams that have heard his whistle include Santos of Brazil, Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund of Germany, Independiente of Argentina, Bristol City and Manchester City of England, and the Israel national team.
    His greatest contribution was in the evolution of the national referee programs in high schools, colleges and the federation from the seventies until as recently as 2007, when the sadness after the death of his beloved wife (“she was my real love, now and always”) convinced him that he had given enough to the sport that was his other great love.
    When Eddie Pearson started building a national training program, he included Pat in the nucleus of the cell of our first senior instructors, with Paul Avis and Peter Johnson of Canada, Harry Baldwin, Don Byron, Roger Schott, Angelo Bratsis and your blogger.  Pat had already been asked (1970) to be the Director of Officials for the American Soccer League, the “feeder league” for the N.A.S.L.  He held that job for seven years until he was asked to be the Director of Assessment for the N.A.S.L.
    After Eddie was killed in 1978 by a wrong-way driver on the entrance to a freeway, Keith Walker came over from England to be Director of Officials, and retained Pat as his Director of Assessment, a post he held until the league folded in 1985.  Pat has been involved in the professional development of referees in this country since the inception of the program, as instructor, colleague, assessor and friend.
    It should be no surprise to anyone that his colleagues, his students, and his friends have honored him for his work.  He is  a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the College Soccer Hall of Fame, the Southern Ohio Soccer Association Hall of Fame, the Adult League Hall of Fame, and the High School Coaches of Ohio Hall of Fame.  He is the recipient of the College Coaches appreciation award, the N.I.S.O.A. Honor Award, and the Eddie Pearson Award for contributions to the national referee program of the United States Soccer Federation.  He is a corner-stone in the edifice of refereeing here.
    Finally, I can add a personal note.  Pat has supported and encouraged me since I first became an N.A.S.L. referee in the early seventies.  He was in my corner when my career almost ended after I made a very bad error of judgment off the field.  He has tempered my intolerance with practical and wise guidance, without ever seeming to criticize what I was doing or saying.  No father or mentor could have done more, and so I, on this Thanksgiving day, give him my thanks as friend, colleague, instructor and assessor (including the Philadelphia/Toronto game).
    [Photos courtesy of Gary LeMay.]

Comments

[Jeff Forward]

I was fortunate to attend the 2003 Soccer Festival in Houston, TX, with both Pat and Heinz Wolmerath. Between the two of them, it was maybe the best learning experience I had with refereeing.
Pat's lessons are as pertinent today as when he began. Keep rocking, Pat!!

[Dilvo DiPlacido-MA(ex-FIFA,National Assessor/Instructor)]

Bob,
Excellent summary for Pat.He has contributed a lot for all of us in the US Federation family.
Thank you.
Dilvo DiPlacido

[Gary LeMay]

One of the things I enjoyed the most about being a member of the soccer community is getting to Pat Smith and people like him (people who got involved with the sport because they loved the game and wanted to give something back). Pat, you're the greatest!

Once apon a time (1984 youth regionals), the original "Kid"

[Raymond R Lalgee STSR SDI 1995-2005]

I had the honor and privilege in attending several of Pat's clinics in South Texas. His strength was well displayed in his simple approach to teaching at the referee's level. The very best to you Pat.

[Ole]

You were in the CoMo? I'd love to set up a referee roundtable with you in Springfield, MO next time you are in-state.

[Remy R. Schott]

I am proud to see that my father and many of his associates received proper recognition for the dedication to and sacrifices they made in the name of the sport they love!!

[Ben Glass]

On the photo, far right. Looks like my friend Walter Durkin, from Washington metro area.

[Peter T.Johnson]

Bob, Pat,

Great article about a "Great man";your forever in my thoughts Pat, hope your ready for "extra time".
Best regards,

Peter T.

[liebe]

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