REFEREE’S MEMORIES

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20281, 25 August 1937, Page 11

REFEREE’S MEMORIES

CONTROLLERS OF RUGBY. PROMINENT MEN OF THE PAST. The Rugby playing fields of Hamilton two decades ago, with particular reference to the referees, were recalled by Mr F. Tooman, a life member of the Hamilton Riigby Referees' Association, in an address to members recently. Mr Tooman said that at a previous meeting ol' the association he had .-•at gazing at the old photographs on the wall of the meeting-room, and the wheels of memory were set in motion, lie saw vividly the Hamilton Rugby referees of 1916. There was the president, “Copper’’ Speight,’’ ’and Bob Rule, Tom French and Jim Qualtruugh, his own predecessor ns Ireasurer of the Hamilton Rugby Union, when tiie weekly takings averaged less than £3. Many of them had since died, among them being old "Copper,” Tom lvivell, L. W. \Y. Browne, Dieit Humphries and Alec Livingstone. Others who returned io the speaker's were Charlie Tisch, Jim Sutton, Freddy Hawke, Bob Patterson. Harold Bateman, Ernie Carde, Bill Bryden, Clarrie Rabone, Allan Marcroft, “Sam” Mannering, Bert Cliffe, Bert Farrelly, and many others. There were Bill Hughes and Jerry St. Clair, line-umpires of those days, while Ted "Prendy” was a well-known figure in the reporters’ box. A tribute was paid by the speaker to Bert Marshall for his untiring work for the association. The speaker referred briefly to the progress of Rugby football in Hamilton from the dark war days of 1916 up to 1929. He referred to the formation of the Hamilton Primary Schools’ Rugby Union in 1916, and paid a tribute to the valued and sustained support given to school football by Messrs T. Hinton, C. Speigiit, J. Varney and F. Jones. He also referred lo the liberality of tlie Hamilton Rugby Union, in financing school football. He also related several stories regarding the early days at Rugby Park.