THE final whistle has been sounded on one of the great soccer "matches" - after 68 years.
Top administrator and referee Len Forge, who rightly earned the title "Mr Soccer" during a lifetime dedicated to the game in Southend, is moving to France with his family at the age of 82.
It was back in 1937 that Len first entered the local scene when he took a team from the Monarchs Sports club to play at Southend High School.
From then he went on to play a major part in several competitions, most notably the Southend Borough Combination and town's Veterans League, refereed up to Football League line standard, served the Football Association at county and national level and was a trail-blazer in organising soccer tours abroad for local teams and return visits.
The setting up of the Combination headquarters at Eastwoodbury Lane has also been a major feat by Len, who apart from being given the freedom of Southend for his sporting work in the community received the MBE a year ago.
Now Len, with wife Freda, daughter Elaine and son Kevin - the latter returning from Australia - is moving to the Bordeaux area where rugby rules the sporting waves.
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