HOW about this for a remarkable achievement – Non-League servant Keith Chamberlain took charge of his 5,000th football match as either a manager or a referee on Wednesday night.
At first it seems an almost impossible feat, considering Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out at just under 1,500 last May.
Quick calculations show with your average season lasting around 50 games, he would have to have been active for 100 years to make the milestone.
But as the legendary Manchester United manager could often be heard grumbling about fixture congestion, 63-year-old Keith can’t cram in enough games!
Such is his dedication to the game, the 6’4 former Harrow Borough, Southall and Ruislip manager has been known to turn out in black sometimes three times a day.
This week he was rightly honoured for the landmark, taking charge of Harefield against a Harrow Invitational XI in a specially arranged game that saw him rewarded for his his years of involvement.
Keith said: “I just love the game, I always have. People always ask how I could have possibly taken 5,000 games and wonder how I keep count.
“I’m a man of record, I have always documented the games I’ve run – even when I was managing. I started on November 25 1971, so 43 years have gone by.
“I always try to do a game early on a Saturday then take one of the 3pm games in the Harrow League. Sundays are even better, if you time it right you can get three in. Although some of the youth games are a little shorter than 90 minutes, they still count!”
