Introduction
Gordon Cecil Kew (born 1930) is an English former football referee in the Football League and for FIFA. During his refereeing career he was based in Leeds, Yorkshire, then Amersham, Buckinghamshire, and, for his final season, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
Career
Kew reached the Football League linesmen's List in 1960 and was promoted to the referees List in 1966. Five years later he was selected to be senior linesman to Norman Burtenshaw for the FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool.
In 1972-73 he made his mark by sending off seven players, the highest ever total at the time. In 1974, he took charge of a FA Cup quarter-final between Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest (then in the old Division 2). Kew awarded Forest a penalty and then sent off Newcastle defender Pat Howard for his protests. Forest scored and, shortly afterwards, Newcastle fans invaded the pitch, causing the game to be suspended. After play restarted Newcastle came from behind to win the game 4-3. Following concerns that allowing the result to stand would encourage hooliganism, the FA annulled the result and ordered the tie to be replayed at a neutral venue (Goodison Park). Newcastle eventually won (again) after a replay. Kew was to see Newcastle again in the Final. They met Liverpool, and were beaten 3-0.
He was appointed to the FIFA List for the following season (1974-75).
In his retirement year, one last honour came his way when he was appointed to the 1977 League Cup Final between Aston Villa and Everton at Wembley. This required two replays, at Hillsborough and Old Trafford, before Villa won 3-2. All were refereed by Kew. It is the only major English Final to require three games to resolve the winners.