How a 93-year-old soccer referee credits wartime rations and discipline for his longevity

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At 93, sprightly referee Frank Foster is still brandishing red and yellow cards and running the field three times a week for his local soccer association.

Having taken charge of around 5,500 matches over a 46-year officiating career, the great-grandfathercredits his longevityand match-day stamina to a lifetime of healthy habits and a foundational diet, news agency SWNS reported.

Foster puts his remarkable fitness down to the strict wartime rations he was fed as a teenager, noting that it ensured he grew up eating “healthy food” rather than “sweets and cakes.”

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Decades later, his game-day preparation is stillfueled by wholesome nutrition, always starting with a morning bowl of oatmeal, cereal or marmalade on toast to give him the energy to last the full 90 minutes.

The meal keeps him active enough to referee men’s, women’s and children’s games, a hobby he jokes he will never blow the final whistle on.

The world's oldest footage referee is still dishing out red and yellow cards.

Frank Foster started refereeing in 1980.Today, he still officiates men’s, women’s and children’s games around three times a week.(SWNS)

His sharp mind and authoritative presence on the field are just as strong as his physical endurance.

Amilitary veteranwho aced his referee exam in 1980 with a 98% score, Foster relies on old-school discipline to keep matches under control, SWNS reported.

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He believes modern elite officials are too “soft” and allow player antics to ruin the sport.To maintain order and keep players from acting out, he lays down strict ground rules before kickoff.He has no patience for intimidation or theatrical diving.“Those who go down like they have been shot, well, I would just book them,” he said.

He is equally uncompromising when squads try to crowd him on the field.

Frank Foster before he became a referee.

Frank Foster is pictured before he became a referee.(Frank Foster/SWNS)

“I wouldn’t let them surround me at all,” Foster told SWNS.

“I would say to the players, ‘Stay where you are,’ and ‘If you move one more inch, I will give you a yellow card.’ You need to stamp your authority and let them know who is in control.”

He also avoids the modern stress of video-reviewing plays, which he believes creates unnecessary “aggression and disappointment” over microscopic offside calls, adding, “I think it spoils the game.”

FILE PHOTO - Frank Foster. // The world's oldest footage referee is still dishing out red and yellow cards AGED 93 - and reckons he can still teach

Foster credits his longevity to wartime rations, adding that he avoided sweets.(SWNS)

“Sometimes it is only the player’s toe that is offside — it is ridiculous.”

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Foster says he “never thought” he’d still be doing this at age 93, but he makes the most of that gift.

He keeps his kit freshly washed, making sure it is “neat and tidy” for when hegets on that field.

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Foster, of South Yorkshire, England, also scrubs his black Adidas boots after every game, making surethey are “nice and clean”for his next match.

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