Ken Aston

Refereeing

After returning from military service in 1946, Aston became the first League referee to wear a black uniform with white trim, which later became standard. Previously, referees wore tweed jackets over white shirts with French cuffs, and plus fours. Aston saw a black flight jacket in a war surplus store window, bought two for their many pockets, and paired them with black shorts and a white shirt, creating the now-familiar look. In 1947, he introduced brightly coloured linesman's flags—one yellow and one red—after struggling to see the home team's beige and chocolate flags in fog.

He bought red and yellow rain slickers from a war surplus store and made his own flags. In 1953, he became Head Teacher at Newbury Park Primary School in Ilford, Essex, while continuing to referee senior League matches. Aston taught courses for novice referees, titling the series 'Refereeing is thinking.' He refereed the 1963 FA Cup Final and the 1962 World Cup match between Chile and Italy known as the 'Battle of Santiago.'

FIFA Referees' Committee

Aston did not referee further games in the 1962 tournament after straining his Achilles tendon, nor in later World Cups. He served on the FIFA Referees' Committee for eight years, chairing it for four, and was in charge of all referees for the 1966, 1970, and 1974 World Cups. In 1966, he introduced the practice of naming a substitute referee who could take over if the referee could not continue, which evolved into the fourth official.

He also proposed that ball pressure be specified in the Laws of the Game. In 1974, he introduced the number board for substitutes. He was credited with improving refereeing uniformity beginning with the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

Red and yellow cards

After the 1966 World Cup match between England and Argentina, Aston learned that Jack Charlton had been booked by referee Rudolf Kreitlein. Charlton called the press office, where Aston was working as Head of World Cup Referees, to confirm the booking. Driving from Wembley Stadium to Lancaster Gate that evening, Aston thought about Charlton's confusion. Stopping at a traffic light at Kensington High Street, he realised that a colour-coding scheme based on traffic lights—amber/yellow meaning 'stop if safe to do so' and red meaning 'stop'—would overcome language barriers and make cautions and send-offs clear to players and spectators.

At home, he explained the idea to his wife Hilda. She left the room and returned with two construction-paper cards cut to fit his shirt pocket. This system, first used at the 1970 World Cup, has since been adopted in rugby, water polo, and other sports.

Later career

Ken Aston served as senior lecturer for the Football Association Referees' Panel and as Chief Instructor for the American Youth Soccer Organization for 21 years. He was made an MBE in 1997. The annual Ken Aston Camp in Orange, California, celebrates his dedication to service and quality.

The Ken Aston Cup, a yearly contest for top AYSO referees, took place in southern California. Aston and his wife Hilda were the honored guests at both events, riding around in a golf cart marked with a Union Jack. After not being held for several years, the camp was set to return in Costa Mesa, California, in March 2020.

Did You Know?

• He graduated from St Luke's College, Exeter, which fellow World Cup referee George Reader and Sir Stanley Rous had also attended.
• Aston qualified as a referee in 1936 and became a Football League linesman in the 1949–50 season.