Allan Gunn

Gunn was a successful schoolboy footballer, appearing for Brighton Boys and Sussex. On leaving Varndean School he played as a left-winger for Old Varndeanians in the Sussex League, before moving to Whitehawk, winning County League Division 1 and the Sussex County Cup in 1962, as well as being chosen to represent Sussex. Gunn tried a season as a part-time professional at Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United) under former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Billy Lane, but then returned to win another Sussex County League title with Whitehawk in 1964. Gunn scored both goals against Lewes in the title decider at Whitehawk's Enclosed Ground on April 25, 1964. He then joined arch rivals Lewes, again winning the County League and Sussex County Cup, as well as the Sussex RUR Cup in 1965. After Lewes joined the amateur Athenian League, he switched to Newhaven and then concentrated on officiating, which he was encouraged to take up by the Sussex referee Frank Wood. He was a class 2 referee by the age of 24 in 1968.

Gunn became a Football League linesman in 1974 and two years later made the Supplementary Referees List. After a successful season at that level he was promoted to the full List in 1977. Over the next few years he made frequent appearances in the then Football League Division One. In 1986, he was senior linesman to Alan Robinson in the FA Cup Final between Everton and Liverpool. He replaced the retiring Robinson on the FIFA list for the following season (1986–87). He took charge of an increasing number of key domestic games. In 1987, he refereed the Associate Members' Cup Final between Mansfield and Bristol City. This was the first professional English Cup Final to be settled by a penalty shoot-out. Two years later, in April 1989, he handled the Final of the Full Members' Cup (a short-lived tournament for sides in the top two divisions) in which Nottingham Forest overcame Everton 4–3. He was appointed to the Charity Shield a few months later. Many referees who have handled this game have shortly after graduated to the FA Cup Final and he got his chance at the end of that season (1989–90). The Final between Manchester United and Crystal Palace ended 3–3 after extra time, and he also refereed the rather low-key replay, won by United 1–0. On the international scene, he was referee for a number of club ties but his most notable match was a World Cup qualifier in April 1989 in which Portugal beat Switzerland 3–1. Originally he was due to retire at the end of the 1990–91 season.…