| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1943-11-23)23 November 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Brighton | ||
| Date of death | 24 May 2004(2004-05-24) (aged 60) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1961 | Old Varndeanians | ||
| 1961–1962 | Whitehawk | 31 | (10) |
| 1962–1963 | Gravesend & Northfleet | ||
| 1963–1964 | Whitehawk | 31 | (22) |
| 1964–1965 | Lewes | ||
| 1965–? | Newhaven | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Allan Gunn (23 November 1943 – 2004) was an Englishfootballreferee in theFootball League,Premier League, and forFIFA. During his time on the List he was based inSussex, initiallyBurgess Hill and laterChailey, nearLewes. Prior to refereeing he was a successful non-league footballer.
Gunn was a successful schoolboy footballer, appearing for Brighton Boys and Sussex. On leavingVarndean School he played as a left-winger for Old Varndeanians in the Sussex League, before moving toWhitehawk,[1] winning County League Division 1 and theSussex County Cup in 1962, as well as being chosen to represent Sussex.[2] He then tried a season as a semi-professional at Gravesend & Northfleet (nowEbbsfleet United) but returned to win another County League title withWhitehawk in 1964. Gunn scored both goals againstLewes in the title decider at Whitehawk's Enclosed Ground on April 25, 1964.[3] He then joined arch rivalsLewes, again winning the County League andSussex County Cup, as well as theSussex RUR Cup in 1965. AfterLewes joined the amateurAthenian League, he switched toNewhaven and then concentrated on officiating, which he was encouraged to take up by the Sussex referee Frank Wood. He was a class 2 referee by the age of 24 in 1968.[4]
Gunn became a Football Leaguelinesman in 1974 and two years later made the Supplementary Referees List. After a successful season at that level he was promoted to the full List in 1977.
Over the next few years he made frequent appearances in the thenFootball League Division One. In 1986, he was senior linesman to Alan Robinson in theFA Cup Final betweenEverton andLiverpool. He replaced the retiring Robinson on the FIFA list for the following season (1986–87).
He took charge of an increasing number of key domestic games. In 1987, he refereed theAssociate Members' Cup Final betweenMansfield andBristol City. This was the first professional English Cup Final to be settled by apenalty shoot-out. Two years later, in April 1989, he handled the Final of theFull Members' Cup (a short-lived tournament for sides in the top two divisions) in whichNottingham Forest overcame Everton 4–3. He was appointed to theCharity Shield a few months later. Many referees who have handled this game have shortly after graduated to the FA Cup Final[citation needed] and he got his chance at the end of that season (1989–90). TheFinal betweenManchester United andCrystal Palace ended 3–3 afterextra time,[5] and he also refereed the rather low-key replay, won by United 1–0.[6]
On the international scene, he was referee for a number of club ties but his most notable match was aWorld Cup qualifier in April 1989 in whichPortugal beatSwitzerland 3–1.[7]
Originally he was due to retire at the end of the1990–91 season. However, in common with a number of high-performing referees at that time, he was granted an extension. This gave him a few more months at FIFA level before the world body reduced its own retirement age to 45 and, along with many other referees, he had to stand down at the end of 1991. He continued to referee in England, being chosen for the newPremier League in 1992, and in 1993 took charge of theLeague Cup Final betweenArsenal andSheffield Wednesday.[8]
He was then granted a further domestic extension. Early in 1994, though, he decided to retire at the end of the season at the age of 51, after a 17-year career on the full List. He accepted an offer fromthe FA in 2000 to become a member of the video panel reviewing match events and disciplinary matters.[9] He died in 2004.
| Preceded by | FA Cup Final Referee 1990 | Succeeded by |