ALLAN SMALL, an award-winning referee, has died in a hospice in Maidstone after a long illness. He was 52.

Mr Small, of Boughton Monchelsea, near Maidstone, was a referee for 30 years. He refereed to Southern League level and officiated in the Alchemy Property Maidstone League and KM Maidstone & Mid-Kent Sunday League.

He was known as Sam and was a member of the Maidstone Branch of the Referees’ Association.

Mike George, secretary of the Alchemy Property Maidstone League, said: “Sam had been associated with Saturday football as a referee for a long while and will miss him.”

Lyn Martin, secretary of the KM Maidstone & Mid-Kent Sunday League secretary, commented: “He was a great guy with a great sense of loyalty. He was one of our most conscientious referees and will be sorely missed.”

Mr Small won the Sunday League’s prestigious referees’ merit cup in the 2002-2003 season.

He leaves a widow Denise and daughter Charlotte.

The funeral will be at Boughton Monchelsea Church on Thursday, November 25, at 11am.