. . . umpires too

Press, 30 May 1981, Page 16

. . . umpires too

Netball umpires face a very busy week-end with so many inter-provincial games to be controlled at the South Island squad tournament, the Raro and secondary schools’ tournaments, and the visit by the English netball team. In between it all, the local umpires will celebrate 50 years of their association. This will take the form of a Conversazione tonight at the University Staff Club, Ham Road, and tomorrow afternoon at Hagley Courts, games of the style of early years will be played; Fifty years ago, the game was n’ine-a-side, called basketball, those officiating were referees and the game had been played in the province for 10 years. Then it was felt it was high time those referees’ constitution was con-

suited and the slender link is still there in that today's game is played with a No. 5 soccer ball.

For more than a decade, the association was maledominated, and the present patron, Mrs Poppy Cairney, was one of the first female examiners.

Former players with long memories will recall those male referees, and very good they were. too. In the sixties, the game became international, became netball, seven-a-side, and the officials umpires. Under these rules, all officials must be female but in Canterbury, there is still a nucleus of male umpires.

However, during this week-end, there will be many “referees” reminiscing about

the good old “basketball” days when the courts were grass, or often a sea of mud, and nets were worn on heads instead of hanging from the goal posts as now. One of these will undoubtedly be Mrs Flo Gough, who for more than 35 years has biked to Hagley Courts every Saturday. A former New Zealand referee, she now holds a current provincial umpires’ badge, still umpires three games a Saturday, and takes her turn on the top court for senior games. She epitomises the umpires’ association that over the years has fostered a very high standard of umpiring control and produced umpires of. international standing, as well as the multitude who control the games every Saturday.