OFFICE BEARERS

CHAIRMAN               
David Martin             
Tel. 07597 301748

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN               
John Parker              
Tel. 07970 568425

SECRETARY              
Allan Black              
Tel. 07512 022949

TREASURER              
Duncan Pickard             
Tel. 01334 870203

TALKS CONVENOR        
Graeme Hogg        
Tel. 01334 653043

COMMITTEE MEMBERS       
Jim Lawrence           
Maurice Shepherd             
David Sinclair 

ASSIST. SECRETARY   
Vic Broad

ASSIST. TALKS CONVENOR   
Bill Bowman

TALK RECORDERS              
Vic Broad 
Tony Miklinski           
Brian Murray             
Graham Pirie

...........................

Wednesday

9th July 2025

10.00am

Talk: 'Royal Marines training - 

Making Sea Soldiers.'

Presenter: Tony Miklinski

MEMBERS PAGE

To access the MEMBERS page enter your password in the box above

Club News

Secretary email: macblack.author@gmail.com

It was a well-attended meeting in Castlehill Hall on 25th June at which Chairman David Martin welcomed all, but with a special welcome for our Speaker for today, David Galloway.

David Galloway is one of our own club members who has been with us for many years and has served as both Chairman and Club Secretary, and has presented talks to a variety of groups around Fife. Today he will be recounting his experiences as a football referee during his time working as a copper mining surveyor in Zambia – ‘A Ref abroad...’

A Ref abroad...

David Galloway was already a Grade 1 ref in Scotland and took charge of the Scottish Junior Cup final at Hampden before leaving for Zambia.  He was treated as something of a celebrity there, as there were very few Europeans in the country and even fewer involved in football, especially in the townships where many of the matches were based.  Refereeing in the top league of the Football Association of Zambia, he earned £3 per game and matches generally attracted crowds of around 10,000 fans.
He soon moved on to international matches and was listed in the FIFA Referee Handbook.  And there was considerable political interest in the high level matches with leaders such as Kenneth Kaunda working the crowd before making a ceremonial “kick off”.  David also crossed paths with Idi Amin of Uganda when he refereed the second leg of the African cup final in Kampala.  Amin liked the fact that David was a Scot!    There was also an incident where the away team complained that witchcraft was being used against them.  David gave that a stiff ignoring.  He was often the subject of critical comment in the local press, until President Kaunda publically praised him, which did the trick.
Towards the end of his time in Zambia, David refereed Leshoto versus Mauritius, and the King of Lesotho invited him for tea and biscuits at the Palace before the match.  A fitting end to a most enjoyable and satisfying tour.

Tony Miklinski