A referee described as 'Mr Reliable' who died while in charge of a football game in Thanet was a former head teacher, it has emerged.

Father-of-two Neil Conlon, in his late 50s, was refereeing a Kent Youth League match at Southwood Stadium, Ramsgate, yesterday.

The under-18s match between Ramsgate and Hythe Town kicked off at 11am.

Twenty minutes into the game, Mr Conlon - pictured left - approached the bench and said he was feeling unwell and asked if someone else could take over.

A short time later, he collapsed in the arms of Hythe Town youth manager Mick Gibbons and an ambulance was called.

Paramedics fought to save his life, but were unable to revive him. The match was abandoned.

Kent Youth League chief executive Colin Boswell said: "The club are in a state of shock at the moment.

"He was one of our longest-serving referees and he was the first person I would call if I needed someone to do a match as he wouldn't mess me around. He was known as Mr Reliable."

Mr Conlon, who lived at River near Dover, was the former head teacher of Melbourne Primary School, in Dover. The school amalgamated with The Powell School to form Green Park Primary School, at The Linces.

Until this summer, he had been a Year 4 teacher at Saxon Way Primary School, in Gillingham.

Mr Conlon's widow Sandra teaches geography at Dover Girls’ Grammar School - where both their daughters, Rebecca and Stephanie, were pupils.

Mr Conlon had been taking charge of games in Kent for over 25 years and was always offering advice to younger referees.

He was the chairman and coach of the Dover branch of the Referees Association and had also been the branch secretary.

Nick Dunn, the association's Kent development officer, said: "I was totally shocked when I heard the news on Sunday. We had all been together at a meeting last week. At least he passed away doing something which he enjoyed doing."

A minute's silence will be held before all Youth League Matches next Sunday.

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