Walter Wakeman, a stalwart of West Midlands football, has died aged 95.
As well as local league football he gave great service to the J W Hunt Cup competition and the Wolverhampton Referees’ Association.
Mr Wakeman was secretary (1987 to 1994) and then treasurer (1994-2014) of the Hunt Cup, whose annual proceeds go to the Beacon Centre for the Blind. He also gave great service to the Wolverhampton Referees’ Association. Many of the cup’s committee are also members of the Wolverhampton Referees’ Association continuing a special relationship that began when the competition was founded in 1926.
In 2015, Mr Wakeman was honoured with a dinner at the Goodyear Pavilion to mark 30 years of service to local football. A presentation to him was made by the then Wolves secretary Richard Skirrow. The Wolverhampton Referees’ Association, Wolverhampton Sunday League, Wolverhampton Combination and the Bilston Youth Partnership League organised the evening and the presentation to Mr Wakeman of an inscribed cut-glass decanter.
Skirrow said: “I have the utmost respect for everybody who is involved in amateur football. It is something to be regarded highly and something I applaud without reservation. That’s why it’s important to mark 30 years of service.” Mr Wakeman’s response summed him up: “I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I have done no more than many others.”
Born in Wolverhampton, Mr Wakeman was educated at the Royal School. He worked at John Harper’s ironfounders in Willenhall, starting as a lab apprentice and eventually becoming personnel manager. He was manager of their football team in the 1970s and Harpers were Hunt Cup runners-up in 1974, losing 1-0 to Northicote Old Boys at Butlers ground.
Mr Wakeman’s wife Dorothy died nine years ago. They had been married 62 years, living much of their life at Lodge Road, Oxley.
As referees instructor with the Wolverhampton RA, Mr Wakeman started as many as 500 on the road to becoming match officials. He had briefly been a referee himself, taking officiating up when he was well over fifty but an arthritic knee put an early end to his activity. When he could not be a referee himself, he decided to help others and became a qualified FA instructor.
“Dad was very modest about his achievements,” said his daughter Angela Parkes. “He loved his football and there have been some lovely thing said about him.” She said her dad’s sporting interest had not been exclusively football in his younger years. “He was a good boxer. He boxed for his school and at county level, I believe.”
Typical of many tributes paid to Mr Wakeman was one from Tony Lloyd: “Walter started me on my referee journey and was always on hand to offer advice. A good man who will be sorely missed.” Alan Cain said: “Couldn’t meet a nicer man than Walter, a brilliant instructor.”
Mr Wakeman had not been in good health for some time but lived long enough to greet his first great grandson. “He was just so amazed to meet my daughter Daniella’s son, Luca,” said Mrs Parkes.