NEW ARRIVALS

The Eddie Kalinowski collection

The National Football Museum has received a fascinating collection of memorabilia relating to Eddie Kalinowski, a referee in Yorkshire. The collection is on loan from his son Reg Kalinowski and comprises more than 200 objects, ranging from documents and newspaper articles to trophies and handbooks.

Eddie Kalinowski was a referee in the West Riding County Amateur League, the Bradford Sunday Alliance and the midweek Bradford Half Holiday League, as well as working at a sports centre and refereeing occasional university matches.

Eddie Kalinowski was born in Poland and came to Britain serving in the Polish army from 1943 to 1948. He played in Scottish junior football until a new job brought him to Bradford in 1949, where he continued his playing career with local teams. His playing career came to an end in 1959, but he had known long before then that he wanted to become a referee.

Kalinowski kept a meticulous record of each game he refereed, noting the teams performance, weather conditions and general comments on the game. He also marked his own performance with a score out of 10 for each game.

He was one of the longest serving referees, only retiring aged 79 in 2006 after 48 successive seasons. Eddie Kalinowski died in April 2008, but his name and achievements are now remembered at the National Football Museum. The collection will be added to the archive and a selection of items is on display in the museum’s galleries.