The Roy Vinter Challenge Shield – Chatham Town 0-1 Cray Valley PM
The Bauvill Stadium, Chatham.
SCEFL Challenge Cup winners v SCEFL Premier Division winners
Francis Babalola scored the only goal of the game as Cray Valley deservedly lifted the Roy Vinter Challenge Shield at the new look Bauvill Stadium.
Kent Sports News Match Report here
Referee – Joe McKay (Kent FA)
Fourth Official – Dan Doyle (Kent FA)
Assistant 1 – Beth Archer (London FA)
Assistant 2 – Brian Wheatley (Kent FA)
Roy Vinter
Roy Vinter was well respected by all those that came across him. He was fair and firm, but always willing and happy to give clubs advice when required. To the many league officials he served alongside, he was the one everyone would look up to and admire. As many of you know, Roy had been ill for some time before he passed but he battled bravely and was still taking a keen interest in league matters as well as still serving as our league treasurer. Roy had lots of experience of match officiating at nearly all levels, league administration in various capacities and brought stability to the then Kent League alongside only two chairpersons in his 24 years in the league. At the age of 16, Roy qualified through the North Riding County FA as a class 3 referee and commenced refereeing in local leagues in the area surrounding Middlesbrough. He was promoted through class 2 and then to class 1, even still refereeing while carrying out his national service. His first involvement in league administration came in 1961 when he was appointed registration secretary of the Middlesbrough & District Youth organisations and two years later he became treasurer of the North Riding County (Minor) FA. Work took Roy further south and after initially moving to Slough, he moved to Kent in 1971. He was appointed to the Kent League referees list in 1972, taking charge of the League Cup final in 1979. In the same year he was appointed secretary of Whitstable Town FC before joining the Kent League management committee in 1980. He was then appointed secretary and treasurer of the Kent League in 1990, stepping down from the former role in 2013, the year following his election as league president. Roy has served football in various capacities over seven decades, receiving the FA 50 years service award, no mean feat for anyone, and all of those involved in Football in Kent have been able to benefit from the experience and knowledge that he had gained.