Over 80,000 people gathered at Wembley on Friday to watch England play Iceland in a friendly ahead of the Euros , with a very special guest from Sheffield in the Royal Box. Frank Foster, a great-grandad from the Steel City, is the world’s oldest referee at nearly 91 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Star, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
With 44 years of coaching and being The Man in Black under his belt, Frank was honoured for his services to football at Wembley, with a king’s reception, dinner with the biggest names in the FA, and the best seats in the stadium to watch the game. “To be honest, and to be a bit rude, but I was gobsmacked,” said the nonagenarian referee, who was invited to the game in April following a feature in The Star and a televised spot by the BBC . “I never expected this, and I don’t do it for this - I do it because I love football,” he said.
“If I could start over and do it all over again, I would. I love football and having this experience has been beautiful.” Advertisement Advertisement As well as receiving a standing ovation at a dignitaries’ dinner before the game, some of the VIPs Frank met included the chair of the FA Debbie Hewitt, CEO Mark Bullingham and the chair of the Women’s Committee Sue Hough.
Frank said: “It’s been amazing to watch the sport grow. I c.