Britain's oldest football referee William "Harry" Hardy funeral

A guard of honour has been created with linesmen's flags at the funeral of Britain's oldest football referee.

William "Harry" Hardy, who officiated matches until he was 88, died last month - two days before he turned 92.

His funeral was held at St Mary's Church, in Ilkeston, Derbyshire earlier and his coffin and family members travelled there in a vintage red bus.

Mr Hardy's son, Chris, said "we have to send him off well". His father officiated at more than 3,000 matches.

Mr Hardy began overseeing matches in 1959 but only retired in the 2015-16 season following a fall.

Prince William, president of the Football Association, gave Mr Hardy a medal for services to football in 2013.

The father-of-two, from Ilkeston, received a British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours the following year.

Speaking before the funeral at the packed out St Mary's Church, his son said: "It is a sad day but it is a special occasion and we have to send him off well."

He added that Mr Hardy refereed his first game after being injured when he was not fit enough to play football "and it went on for 57 or 58 years".

"Everybody who is over 25 who has played football round here knows my dad," he said.

He said his father would not care about criticism of his refereeing decisions.

"He said 'I always switch my hearing aids off so I never hear what they are moaning at anyway'."

Mr Hardy, who also had six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, joined Erewash Valley Referee Society in 1959 and from 1963 served in office as secretary for more than 55 years.

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