Former top football ref and journalist Frank Phillips has died in Canada, aged 89
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A FORMER Scottish Grade one and FIFA listed referee and journalist has died in Canada at the age of 89.
Londoner Frank Phillips, who played for Arsenal reserves before moving to Inverness, officiated in the Highland League and Scottish League in the 1970s.
He emigrated from the Highland Capital with his family to the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia in 1978 and died there in a care home.
Frank is survived by his wife, Rena, children Gillian, Mark, Linda and Caroline, and 22 grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Born in London on February 11, 1933, he survived the London blitz and was one of the children who were part of the Pied Piper Operation after losing his mother during the bombing.
After WWII upon his return to London he went to a private school Mill Hill Academy where he learned five different languages.
He later joined the RAF for his national service, doing a tour in the Korean War as a navigator and on one communications and reconnaissance mission experienced a close call with a Russian MIG jet fighter.
His military service took Frank to RAF Kinloss, and after leaving the RAF he began working for AI Welders in Inverness as a clerk and translator where he put his French skills to use.
It was then in 1958 where he met the love of his life, Rena. They settled in Inverness where they raised their four children.
Frank began working in the newspaper industry working his way up to managing editor of many local newspapers including the Highland News, Football Times, Ross- Shire Journal and The North Star.
Frank was able to combine his refereeing duties with his role as editor of the Football Times despite its publication day being a Saturday, such was his love of the game. He also refereed a Scotland v England exhibition game.
His passion of course was all sport, playing soccer, cricket, field hockey, boxing, basketball, golf, curling, darts and squash and he even tried skydiving.
On March 31, 1978 Frank and his family emigrated to Canada with the exception of his daughter Gillian who followed later with her family. They settled in Nanaimo where Frank began working in the newspaper industry again and eventually becoming the managing editor of the Nanaimo Daily Free Press.
After leaving that position he became a real estate agent at Nanaimo Realty. He served on numerous committees including the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board as president, the Boxing Commission, and the Nanaimo Darts League. Frank also worked prior to his retirement with his son Mark in his car business.
Upon retirement Frank and Rena enjoyed travelling including trips to Scotland, New Orleans, Mexico, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. He continued to enjoy sports playing regular games of golf, curling and darts.
But his health deteriorated in the Autumn of 2017 and he moved in to Nanaimo Seniors Village on January 2018 where he died earlier this month.
A former colleague David Love said: "Frank was a fine referee, well known for his demand for discipline but cognisant of footballers desire to win, having played the game himself.
"He was also a careful, accurate journalist, being a guide and mentor during my early career with the Highland News.
"He had enough faith in me to see the paper to print on a Saturday when he was at a game despite me still being a teenager.
"I learned a lot from him and I will never forget those days of hot metal and huge print machines rolling out thousands of Saturday night sports papers before I helped distribute them throughout the north of Scotland."
