COME ON REF-BLOW THAT WHISTLE.

Listening to football on the radio this afternoon, there were mentions of "long games", which led me to research the longest match recorded and one (maybe THE longest) appears to have been played at Edgeley Park, Stockport County's home ground, on 30th March 1946. They played Doncaster Rovers in a Divison 3 North Cup replay, a tie that lasted 3 hours and 23 minutes. At the end of then tie, there was a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes, then extra time and no winner. At this time and during the "War Years", there was a "Play to Win" philosophy in the English Football League, a sort of Golden Goal. There were no penalty shoot outs and the "toss of a coin" was not agreed.

After 173 minutes, Les Cocker (BELOW) scored for Stockport, but the goal was disallowed by the referee for hand ball, the delirious crowd was quietened and then the sun went down and of course, there was no floodlighting. The referee, Mr Baker from Crewe, had to stop the game and Donny won the "toss of the coin" to choose the venue of the next match, which went to Yorkshire and Donny won 4-0. Ralph Maddison scored a hat trick. Simple!

Another War Cup match between Cardiff City and Bristol City lasted 3 hours and 20 mins with some of the crowd leaving at "dinner time", eating their meal and returning to see the end of the game.

In Wales recently there was a Charity Money raising match which went for  and after 169 hours the lads blew the final whistle! There have a few more of these, but not officially a competitive match.

The "play to win rule" was soon changed.