Top umpire on the move

Press, 12 September 1987, Page 14

Top umpire on the move

Cricketers in Christchurch often take the easy way out when arguing a point of law of the game. They ask Fred Goodall. Mr Goodall is an acknowledged expert in the field of cricket, an umpire with the courage of his convictions — and he has needed to take a firm stance at times — a person whose name is syno-

nymous with the game in Canterbury and further a field. . In a week’s time Mr Goodall will depart for Wellington. He has applied for membership of the Wellington Cricket Umpires’ Association and It will be that body’s gain, Canterbury’s loss. For 28 summers, Mr Goodall’s white-coated figure has stood behind the stumps or at square leg at cricket grounds in the city. His memory, as with his umpiring decisions, is deliberate and cbhctse.

“I umpired my first senior game in November, 1959, I’ve had 28 seasons.” From the grassroots of club cricket, Mr Goodall progressed to officiate at first-class level and on the ultimate for any umpire — that of standing in a test

He has officiated in 93 first-class matches and 23 tests (both New Zealand records) and has umpired 16 one-day internationals since his first-class debut in the 1963-64 season.

At 49 years of age, the dapper Mr Goodall is in sight of a personal halfcentury, but he is also advancing his score towards a century of firstclass umpiring appearances. He has four firstclass appointments this season which will leave him 97 not out with the coveted three figures to be reached probably in the 1988-89 season.