Long-serving referee Neal Saxton has lived in Sussex for more than 40 years but has not lost his Barnsley accent, as the players he officiates every week will confirm.
The 62-year-old was brought up in Wombwell but moved to Sussex in 1975 through work and has stayed there ever since.
He took up refereeing after he retired from playing and has been honoured by the Sussex FA for 25 years of service.
He said: "All the players know me as 'Barnsley'. It is a bit of a shock to them at first when they hear my accent and they say: 'where are you from?'
"I see refereeing as theatre and I use my accent as part of that with catchphrases like 'shut it' and 'come here'.
"The players take the Micky out of me a bit but you have to learn to laugh at yourself."
Neal was working back in Barnsley for the Royal Mail in the early 1990s when George Martin, his former manager at Jump Youth United and a referee, encouraged him to take up the whistle.
He said: "I did an eight-week course in Barnsley with training at the Royal Oak in Platts Common in a freezing room.
"Then I carried it on when I moved back down south. It has gone so fast and it suddenly hit me that I have done 25 years.
"I've really enjoyed it."
Neal officiates in the Saturday and Sunday leagues in Sussex but previously ran the line in the FA Cup, FA Youth Cup and women's FA Cup while he has also refereed in America and Norway.
One of his highlights was being a linesman for Brighton under 18s' game against Barnsley under 18s when the Reds' academy was overseen by Ronnie Branson and Mark Burton.
He said: "The home fans could hear my accent when I spoke to the players and they thought Barnsley had brought their own linesman with them."
Neal, who know lives in the village of Wisborough Green, was a schoolfriend of former Barnsley FC owner Patrick Cryne and his wife Jean at Wombwell High School.
His parents Irving and Jennie still live on Bly Road in Darfield.
