Oldest referee Harry Hardy, 88, set to retire

Britain's oldest referee says he will have to retire at the age of 88 after a fall caused a potentially career-ending injury.

Harry Hardy, from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, said it feels "rotten" to give up after refereeing more than 3,000 football matches since 1959.

Prince William, president of the FA, gave Mr Hardy a medal for services to football in 2013.

He also received a British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Harry Hardy received a medal from Prince William, president of the Football Association

Mr Hardy said he twisted his hip "thinking I'm 28, carrying a load of stuff up the stairs".

"It's put me out of any game for a little bit," he said.

"When you've had a bit of time off you've got to get fit again because you can't walk round the fields, you've got to run."

Harry Hardy is resting at home in Ilkeston after having a fall on the stairs

He doubts he will referee again, but will continue being secretary of the Erewash Valley Referee Society, a position he has held since the early 1960s.

He has carried on refereeing for so long because "I'm able to mix with younger people on their level".

"You're one of the lads, aren't you?" he said.

Mr Hardy has lived in Ilkeston his whole life and worked in nearby Nottingham as a supervisor at bicycle manufacturers Raleigh.

He joined Derbyshire County FA and Erewash Valley Referee Society in 1959.

He has refereed in several leagues since then, including Sunday league games in Long Eaton and the Central Midlands league on a Saturday afternoon.

He supports Derby County but has not had chance to go many matches because he has been refereeing at the time.

Harry Hardy has refereed more than 3,000 football matches