Only just seen this. Condolences on your loss, but thank you for sharing. The ‘which celebrity has died now’ lists are fine, but it’s people close to people on here that really matter. RIP Pat.
Heartfelt condolences Tony, that’s a beautiful tribute and I feel your pain, but I truly hope that you can take some comfort in the unmistakable fact that you shared a beautiful friendship with Pat and have memories that will last forever. RIP Pat
The BBC did a piece of him a few weeks ago, he was struggling to walk at that time. He reffed us against Bradford, when they were given the South Stand at BP. RIP.
nodule pressing on his spine left him paralysed from the waist down - was in hospital for a long time - he was learning to walk again - tragic really
I agree. Remember one of his first games, City v Huddersfield at Boothferry Park, Christmas mid 90's? City were struggling a bit, this was the days of Fish @ Dol*n and Simon Cawkill was the commercial manager. Simon sold me and some friends a sponsors package for the game, I believe the pubs were closed for some reason, maybe an early kick off ? so we saw it as an excuse to get a drink when no-one else could. I managed to get about 20/30 of us involved and we packed the directors box and the sponsors bar beforehand. Big Ozzy played a big part in this too, anyhow, late on in the game with City defending the South Stand goal and the scores locked at 1-1 ( could be wrong, there, we could have been 1-0 up) Rob Dewhirst took away the legs of a Town forward in the box in the most blatant penalty you could ever imagine, Rennie waved 'played on' and we went onto to win the game, our first win for a while if I remember correctly. it was the first and probably only game that the singing was led and started from the Directors Box. Always a controversial referee was Mr Rennie, you never knew what he was going to do next. i liked him, and there are not a lot of referees you can say that about or even remember the names of. He made his mark and all due respect to the man. RIP.
Was adept at martial arts and known as the fittest referee, which makes his early passing even more unexpected.
I seem to recall in later years the crowd could really influence his decisions by just being loud !! Seemed a good guy though .
Yes, I remember this. Think it was Boxing Day 1994 - Hudds top of the league and us in the play-off pack. Sure it was an 11am kick off but I remember Tuns being open before the game. Peacock volley: 1-0 win in front of a decent crowd for the dire early to mid 90s. Agree, sure it was Dewhurst who scythed down the Town forward near the end - 100% pen. I think he also reffed the Yorkshire Cup final earlier that season away at Hudds and sent off two of our players. I wasn't there but it was supposedly very controversial and I think the Club complained.
I think you are right, Tricky Dicky scored the only goal of the game. Warnock was their manager at the time.
I loved the Fourth Protocol, it was later made into a film starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan. The book was way better than the film.