Charge against bogus referee dismissed

Press, 21 November 1981, Page 3

Charge against bogus referee dismissed

PA Auckland A charge of disorderly behaviour against a man who ran on to Eden Park pretending to be a referee, and kicked the rugby ball, was dismissed in the District Court at Auckland yesterday. Geoffrey Everard Walpole, aged 44, a school teacher, of Porirura, Wellington, had earlier denied the charge. He appeared before Judge Hall. Maxwell Tremain, a. member of the Referees’ Association, said he was at Eden Park on September 5 for the Auckland-Springbok rugby test. He was ground controller at the match, responsible ■ for safety on the inner ground. Before the match started, he saw Walpole walk out, apparently from the No. 1 stand area, and stand near the half-way line. Walpole picked up the ball, ran back, and kicked it. J Mr Tremain said he got Walpole in a headlock and assisted in walking him off the ground. He said Walpole was wearing “Bombay bloomers” and a brown jacket. He took the jacket off before kicking the ball. Constable Neville Ross said he asked Walpole what he was doing on the field. Walpole showed him a referee’s badge and said he was the “reserve referee.” He said Walpole kicked the ball when the players had gone on to the field, just before the kick-off. Cross-examined by counsel, Mr Barry Littlewood, Mr Ross agreed that on reflection it was a light-hearted incident. Judge Hall said disorderly behaviour must annoy others considerably and be more than merely unmannerly or disturbing. He said he only wished, after having sat endlessly on cases arising out of the Springbok tour, that other people had reacted with such good taste and light-hearted-ness as in this incident. He dismissed the charge.