Former referee and football speaker Kevin Lynch worked in professional sports for more than thirty years, officiating at some of the most high profile and notorious matches of the 1990’s. Retiring in 2000 Lynch now works as an after dinner speaker, sharing stories of his time on the pitch, the famous names he has worked with the controversial calls he has made.
Spending the majority of his career referring Association Football, Kevin Lynch spent the final eight years of his career referring for the Football League, he acted as the assistant referee at the semi-finals of both the FA and Football League Cups for almost a decade and held many appointments overseas. He worked as a football speaker and assistant referee for FIFA for a number of years and counts overseeing the 1992 UEFA Cup final between Torino and Ajax amongst his career highlights.
He officiated on a variety of club matches and boasts no less than three appearances at the legendary Wembley Stadium, including officiating the 1989 FA Charity Shield, the 1992 4th Division Play-Off final and also acted as the fourth official for the Football League’s Centenary Challenge Match between Sunderland and Liverpool.
Another highlight of Kevin Lynch’s career as a domestic football speaker and ref was his appointment to referee the 2000 AutoWindscreen’s Shield Final between Stoke City and Bristol City. Lynch is remembered for his impressive abilities to manage often tumultuous situations and has been involved in a number of high profile and notorious on the field controversies, including a 21-man brawl in a game between Norwich City and Crystal Palace. Kevin Lynch also broke the Football League record for most sending offs when he sent five players off, four of which were from the same team, all in a single game!
Kevin Lynch was always popular amongst fans and spectators, his work as a sports speaker and referee in the Football League has garnered him equal praise and criticism, but he will forever be fondly remembered by British football fans. Notably bowing to the crowd at a Football League match in the last fifteen years of his career Lynch was reprimanded by officials and applauded by fans when he not only joined in but conducted a stadium full of singing fans during a match between Leyton Orient and Brentford.
Since retiring Kevin Lynch has worked prolifically as a sports speaker on the football and sporting after dinner speaker circuit, he has also held positions as the President of the Association of Premier League and Football League Match Officials. He spent time employed as a Professional Referee Coach for the FA and has also toured the UK working at both football and cricket clubs.
A thoroughly entertaining personality, Kevin Lynch is able to provide a unique insight into the officiating and refereeing in football. With a host of tales and anecdotes from his abundance of experiences, Lynch is certain to to be popular with his audience and shed light on the often unpublicised side of the game. Kevin Lynch is available to hire for any event as a football speaker.
