{{Short description|English football referee}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox football official | name = Richard Beeby | fullname = Richard J Beeby | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1962|01|11}} | birth_place = [[Northampton]], [[Northants]], England | death_date = | death_place = | otheroccupation = | years1 = 1999– | league1 = [[The Football League|Football League]] | role1 = [[Referee (association football)|Referee]] | internationalyears1 = 2005–2007 | confederation1 = [[UEFA]] | internationalrole1 = [[Fourth official]] }} '''Richard J. Beeby'''<ref>[http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ListOfOfficialsDetail/0,,10794~684504,00.html Middle initial] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323074714/http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ListOfOfficialsDetail/0,,10794~684504,00.html |date=23 March 2008 }}: [[the Football League]] official website. Retrieved 23 March 2008.</ref> (born 11 January 1962 in [[Northampton]], [[Northants]]<ref name="flprofile">[http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/RefereeProfilesDetail/0,,10794~628215,00.html Birthdate confirmation and profile] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417072957/http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/RefereeProfilesDetail/0,,10794~628215,00.html |date=17 April 2008 }}: the Football League official website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>) is an [[England|English]] [[association football]] [[Referee (association football)|referee]] who operates in [[the Football League]], and has also previously handled [[Premier League]] games.
==Career== Beeby began his refereeing career in the local Northampton leagues, eventually attaining [[The Football League|Football League]] status in 1999.<ref name="flprofile" />
His first ever match as a Football League referee was the 2–1 home win by [[Southend United F.C.|Southend]] over [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth]] in the old [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] on 7 August 1999, and resulted in him having to dismiss a player, [[Mick Heathcote]] of Plymouth.<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=264425 First ever Football League match in charge], Southend v. Plymouth, 1999: [[soccerbase]].com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
During the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] match played between [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester]] and [[AFC Bournemouth]] at [[Layer Road]] on 2 September 2000,<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=290581 Colchester v. Bournemouth], Second Division, 2000: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> Beeby was surrounded by away side players following a decision in their 3–1 defeat. This resulted in a £2,500 fine for the [[Dorset]] club, due to "a failure to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion".<ref>[http://www.bournemouthdailyecho.co.uk/display.var.2060286.0..php "Cherries charged over player 'conduct'"]. [[Newsquest|Bournemouth Daily Echo]]. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
In 2004, he took charge of the [[Football League Championship playoffs#2004|old First Division Play-off Semi-final]], first leg, between [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] and [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] at [[Selhurst Park]] on 14 May 2004,<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=427728 Crystal Palace v. Sunderland], First Division Play-off Semi-final, first leg, 2004: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> and was then appointed to control the [[2004 Football League Second Division play-off Final|old Second Division Play-off Final]] between [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]] and [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]<ref name="flprofile" /> at the [[Millennium Stadium]], [[Cardiff]], on 30 May 2004, when a late [[Leon Knight]] [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty]] secured promotion for the South coast team.<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=427734 Brighton v. Bristol City], Second Division Play-off Final, 2004: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
On 26 October 2005, Beeby handed out the fastest red card in [[Old Trafford]] history to [[Barnet F.C.|Barnet]] goalkeeper [[Ross Flitney]] after 80 seconds in their 4–1 [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] defeat to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]. The decision was criticised by both managers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/oct/27/match.barnet |title=Flitney's red mist clears way for United |publisher=The Guardian |date=26 October 2005}}</ref> The red card was later rescinded as Flitney's handball was not denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/oct/29/newsstory.barnet |title=Barnet goalkeeper Flitney handed red card reprieve |publisher=The Guardian |date=29 October 2005}}</ref>
Although not on the [[Premier League]] list of referees, Beeby was given a "trial run" in that league on 7 May 2005, when he was man-in-the-middle for the [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] versus [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] tie at [[Villa Park]], which ended 2–1 to City.<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=451711 First ever Premier League match], Aston Villa v. Man. City, 2005: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> In that year, he was also given the honour of being the referee for the [[FA Vase]] Final. This was played on 14 May 2005 at [[White Hart Lane]] in [[London]], between [[A.F.C. Sudbury]] and [[Didcot Town F.C.|Didcot Town]].<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=451280 FA Vase Final 2005], referee: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> He also handled a Semi-final second leg in the [[Football League Championship playoffs#2005|Football League Championship Play-offs]], when [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston]] drew 0–0 at [[Derby County F.C.|Derby]] to ensure their place in the Final, thanks to a 2–0 first leg victory.<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=452099 Derby v. Preston], Championship Play-off Semi-final, second leg, 2005: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
Despite having already refereed his first Premier League match, and subsequently being given two more fixtures in that league during the [[2005–06 in English football|2005–06]] season,<ref>[https://www.soccerbase.com/referees/referee.sd?referee_id=283&season_id=135 Two more Premier League matches in 2005-06], then no more since: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> Beeby has since been confined to operating in the three divisions of the Football League. Incidentally, on 28 December 2005, he should have taken up his next Premiership appointment at [[Craven Cottage]], when [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] met Aston Villa,<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=474024 Fulham v. Aston Villa], Premier League, 2005 (injured): soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> but he suffered an injury in the "warm-up", and was replaced by [[fourth official]] [[Andy D'Urso]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4537622.stm D'Urso replaces Beeby due to injury], Fulham v. Aston Villa, 2005: from a match report at the [[BBC.co.uk]] website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
He was given further responsibility in the Play-offs in season [[2006–07 in English football|2006–07]], when he took control of the [[Football League Two play-offs#2007|Football League Two Play-offs]] Semi-final, first leg, between [[Bristol Rovers F.C.|Bristol Rovers]] and [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]] at the [[Memorial Stadium (Bristol)|Memorial Stadium]] on 12 May 2007.<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=515676 Bristol Rovers v. Lincoln], Football League Two Play-offs Semi-final, first leg, 2007: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
Only fifteen minutes into his [[FA Cup]] appointment on 11 November 2007 at [[Gainsborough Trinity F.C.|Gainsborough]], who were entertaining [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool]],<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=534340 Gainsborough v. Hartlepool], FA Cup, 2007: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> Beeby "had to go off with a [[Calf muscle#Calf strain (torn calf muscle)|calf strain]] and was replaced by [[Assistant referee (association football)|linesman]] [[Michael Naylor (referee)|Michael Naylor]] with the fourth official taking the flag".<ref>[http://lincoln.thisisfinesse.co.uk/football/gainsborough_trinity/news/displayarticle.php?ID=1809 Injury after 15 minutes], Gainsborough v. Hartlepool, 2007: from an article at the [[Lincolnshire Echo]] website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
Beeby is also listed by the Football Association as their Northamptonshire fitness coach, based in [[Kettering]].<ref>[http://www.thefa.com/GrassrootsOld/GrassRootsNews/Postings/2003/05/47466.htm Fitness coach] ([[Kettering]], [[Northants]]): TheFA.com official website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref>
===UEFA involvement=== Since 2005, he acted as [[fourth official]] in European club matches under the jurisdiction of [[UEFA]],<ref>[http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Refereeing/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/11/Referee_teams_in_Europe.htm Fourth official in Europe], 2005: TheFA.com official website. Retrieved 17 March 2008.</ref> until his compulsory retirement from that activity at the age of 45 in 2007.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.soccerbase.com/referees/referee.sd?referee_id=283 Richard Beeby Referee Statistics] at [[Soccerbase]].com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beeby, Richard}} [[Category:1962 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Northampton]] [[Category:English football referees]] [[Category:English Football League referees]]