Frank Foster, 93, officiates soccer matches three times a week and has taken charge of approximately 5,500 games across a 46-year career, according to SWNS. The great-grandfather and military veteran attributes his endurance to the strict dietary discipline imposed by wartime rationing during his teenage years. Foster passed his referee examination in 1980 with a 98% score and shows no sign of stepping away from the field.
Wartime Diet as the Foundation
Foster credits rationing, not modern nutrition science, with establishing his health baseline. Restricted access to sweets and cakes during the war years meant he developed eating habits built around whole foods from an early age. He has maintained that pattern into his nineties.
His match-day preparation begins with a fixed breakfast: a bowl of oatmeal, cereal, or marmalade on toast. That single meal, he says, gives him the fuel to last a full 90 minutes. Foster currently referees men's, women's, and children's matches for his local soccer association.
Discipline and Authority Over Six Decades
Foster entered officiating with a military background and has applied that discipline to every match. His 98% score on the referee exam in 1980 set an early benchmark. On the field, he establishes ground rules before kickoff and tolerates neither theatrical diving nor player encirclement.
His standard response to players who simulate injury: book them. His approach to crowding is equally direct — players who advance one inch after being told to stand down receive a yellow card. Foster told SWNS he believes stamping authority early is what keeps matches under control.
Where Foster Breaks With the Modern Game
Foster is critical of video review technology, arguing it manufactures aggression and disappointment over marginal offside decisions. He points to cases where a player's toe constitutes the offside infraction, calling the precision counterproductive. He does not use video review in his own officiating.
He is similarly skeptical of how modern elite officials manage player conduct, describing the current standard as too permissive. Foster believes that allowing antics to go unpunished undermines the sport.
Kit Maintenance as Professional Standard
Foster treats equipment upkeep as an extension of professional discipline. His match kit is laundered before each appearance. His black Adidas boots are scrubbed after every game. He told SWNS he never anticipated still officiating at 93, but approaches each match with the same preparation standards he applied at the start of his career 46 years ago.