Thomas Kyle

Thomas Kyle was appointed to both the Southern League referees and Football League linesman lists in 1901. He took charge of four international matches in 1908-09, including the Denmark versus France “B” game at the London Olympics. He had the honour of being appointed a linesman for the 1910 FA Cup Final between Newcastle United and Barnsley. That same year he was made an honorary member of the Belgium Union of Athletics Sports’ Societies, a body which controlled all sport in Belgium. He received the honour because he was regarded as being “A friend of Belgium” after visiting the country six years in succession to officiate at the annual tournament of the Leopold Club.

A leading football legislator in the South of England, Kyle was a member of the FA Council and the Buckinghamshire and Berkshire FA for 23 years up his death, and was also chairman of the Spartan League. By profession Kyle was the chief inspector of weights and measures for the Buckinghamshire County Council and served on three Government committees over the years. As a youngster he was a keen all-round sportsman and won many cycling and rowing honours, He also enjoyed playing tennis and was a keen motor cyclist.