Walter Lewington

Walter James Lewington (2 September 1891 – 29 May 1965) was an English football referee who officiated matches in Spain from 1933 to 1939. He also had a brief acting career.

Refereeing career Born in Gillingham on 2 September 1891, On 24 January 1935, he refereed a friendly between Spain and France at the Estadio Chamartín, which ended in a 2–0 win to the former; the journalists of the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia stated that "Mr. Lewington's refereeing has not been detrimental since he allowed the French to have their say, being tolerant of much violence" and that "he also allowed himself to be influenced by the linesmen". In the following year, in March 1937, he and Weiss partnered again to arrange another tour, but this time for a different Yugoslavian club, SK Jugoslavija, and also to a different place, the British Isles, where they faced and lost to an Irish league XI on 17 March. Just two months later, on 17 May, Lewington refereed an international match between Ireland and Switzerland in Bern, which ended in a 0–1 win to the former. A few days later, on 27 May, he oversaw a match between Građanski Zagreb and Chelsea in Zagreb, which ended in a 0–1 win to the London club.

Acting career In 1939, Lewington had a small acting role in the British mystery film The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, which was one of the first feature films where football is a central element in the plot; he played a referee.

Death Lewington died in Addiscombe on 29 May 1965, at the age of 73.