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NIACUS Archives |
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© PJM Last updated 1.8.06 |
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President: Charlie Lowing |
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The Northern Ireland
Cricket Umpires Association (NICUA) was founded in 1949. Founder members
were: S. Bird, E. Corken, W. Finlay, B. Gibb, B. House, B. Irvine, D.
Jones, W. Eccles, J. Lawther, T. Cinnamon, S.
Carlisle, M. Morrow, R. McDowell, J. McIlveen, J.
McCarthy, B. Scott, W. Taylor and D. Thom. Meetings were held in
The Assembly Buildings, |
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A
lecture on umpiring was given by Test Umpire, Frank Lee, again in Assembly
Buildings, |
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President: J.A ( |
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After a break of a
number of years, the Association was reformed on On "Dear Sir, I am
instructed by the Members and Officers of NICUA to inform you that as from In 1967 Vice
Presidents were G. England, J.C. Picken, J.S.
Pollock and R.R. Harrison. At the February 1968
meeting, Billy Taylor was elected Vice Chairman of the NICUA. Billy had been
one of the founder members in 1949. At that same meeting the NCU were asked
to clarify 'expenses' e.g. was this a mileage charge
for cars, a payment for time off work? At the March 1968
meeting an ACU film on Umpiring from Rothman's of In April 1968 the
Association applied to the ACU to become linked as a branch or by
affiliation. It was also noted that the Association already had a full member
of the ACU - Dr G.R. Talbot. Three members - Dai Jones, D. Nesbitt and F.McMurray applied to the ACU for Associate Membership. |
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President: J.A ( |
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President: J.A ( |
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On 3rd and The following letter
was printed in the Belfast News Letter on
The umpires in
question were none other than NICUA members George Archer and Dai Jones! |
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President: J.A ( |
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President J.A ( |
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President: Dr W. Ritchie |
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B.M. Anderson
continued for 1 month as Secretary/Treasurer until the above were elected. Dr
G.R. Talbot was elected as the first ever Honorary Life Member of the NICUA. |
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President: J.M. Houston |
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Minute Book records
started in November 1973. The NCU refused a request for representation on the
Senior Committee. The NICUA asked for a fee increase to £3 and £4 for the
Guinness Cup. The current fee at that time was £2. In December 1973
approval was given to purchase a typewriter. In April 1974 a
painting of the Wallace Park ground was presented to Lisburn CC. |
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President: J.M. Houston |
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October 1974 was the
first minuted AGM in our current Minute Records and was described as the '8th
AGM'. It was reported that Joe Vaughan had been elevated to full membership
of the ACU. In December 1974 the
issue of smoking on the field of play was discussed. Billy Taylor admitted
"often having a crafty drag at square-leg" and said that, if there
were strong objections to this practice, he would stand down rather than give
up his smoke. This was suggested by members to be the best decision he had
made in years! Walter Russell presented a solution for ensuring that wickets
are parallel to each other: Popping Creases are 58
ft apart. Return Creases are 8.666 (rep.) ft apart, therefore, by Pythagoras,
the lines joining the diagonally opposite corners of the Popping Creases are
each 58.64393499 ft long! In February 1975 the
ACU declined to visit |
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President: Jim Barry |
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At the October AGM it
was proposed by Pete Reith that the subscription to the Association would be
raised from 50 pence to £1. This was duly passed. In November 1975 the
NCU was again asked to review Fees and Expenses. In March 1976 a letter
of condolence was sent to the father of Cregagh batsman, Harry Blair, a
victim of a terrorist explosion. In April 1976 the NCU
asked the views of the Association regarding expenses. It was proposed that
the fee would be £4 with travelling expenses being 7p per mile. |
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President: Jim Barry |
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It is recorded that
Walter Russell (Hon Sec and Hon Treasurer) was to be given a £40 subsidy - he
was to travel to It was also noted that
the NCU had still not resolved the travel expenses issue - members agreed
that if 7p per mile was not paid by the NCU then Umpires would travel by
public transport at public transport rates! No meetings could be
held in Dec 1976 or Jan 1977 due to bad weather. |
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President: Jim Barry |
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It was noted that the
NICUA had been willed £100 by the late J.C.Picken. It was noted that Joe Vaughan
had passed his Instructor's Exam at the ACU - he was now a 'Probationer
Instructor'. Walter Russell relinquished the post of Hon Secretary/Hon
Treasurer after voicing his dissatisfaction at members
lack of support on the matter of travelling expenses. One of the
Association's Vice Presidents, Hugo Patterson, made an appeal to the
Association "to make a conscious effort" to improve what he
described as "a deteriorating relationship with the NCU committees and
personalities". Following this a proposal was made to invite Dr Murray
Power to become a member of the Association. At the November
meeting it was pointed out that a mistake had been made on the 1st day of the
Junior Cup final - only 99 overs had been bowled. Dunmurry
were all out in 49 overs and Woodvale II batted for
50 overs. In December 1977 a
proposal to send a donation to the MCC towards expenses of High Court Action,
in the Kerry Packer affair, was defeated. In January 1978 it was
agreed to approach the Chairman of the Senior Umpires Committee to arrange a
meeting to discuss "matters of mutual interest". In February 1978 a
' An ACU exam was set
for A social evening was
arranged for 21st April, with Bill Ireland as a special guest. |
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1978/79 President: Jim Barry |
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It is interesting to note
that in the minutes of the October 1978 AGM the meeting between the NICUA and
the NCU Senior Umpires Committee was reported on but no details were recorded
in the minutes. It was also decided at the AGM to retain Lisburn CC as the
venue for meetings. In December 1978 the
scarcity of umpires was discussed. It was agreed that the Association should
front a recruitment drive with the help of Bill Ireland and the press. In January 1979 there
was no meeting - it was minuted as "explanation given and accepted".
This was due to a shooting incident involving a member. In February 1979 it
was reported that there was still an "unhappy relationship" between
the NICUA and the NCU. A proposition was also made that the NICUA acquire a
projector for showing ACU films. At the April meeting Joe Vaughan offered the
use of a projector and screen when required. Joe also gave an explanation of
an Experimental Law on "caught". |
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President: Jim Barry |
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At the October AGM it
was reported that the average attendance of members had been 12. It was also noted
that George Archer, Dai Jones, Stanley Long and Ivan Reid (Downpatrick) had
passed the ACU Oral exam. In November 1979 it
was agreed to purchase a new modified book of The Laws for members. The Hon.
Secretary, George Archer, was asked to write to G. Ormsby to congratulate him
on 21 years service to the NCU and to invite him to become a Vice President. Dai Jones also assured
the meeting that Sections I, II and III would all get umpires, that umpires
would be graded and, as far as possible, new umpires would be paired with
experienced ones. In February 1980
Murray Power was congratulated on winning the ACU Simms Award. In March 1980 it was
reported that the long-awaited meeting between the NICUA and the NCU Senior
Umpires Committee had been scheduled for A new ground report
sheet for umpires was being prepared and Dai Jones reported a 25% increase in
fees for the coming season. Joe Vaughan showed slides and cassette of
'Changes in the New Code of Laws for 1980'. |
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President :Jim Barry |
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Joe Vaughan was
congratulated on the umpires courses which he had
run in Collegians and Concern was also
expressed at the AGM about the increase of 'gamesmanship' in our cricket. In December 1980 it
was reported that ACU courses and exams had been arranged at Queen's
University, |
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President: Jim Barry |
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At the October AGM
Billy Sewell asked for an explanation as to how persons were chosen for the The fact that Stanley
Long was considering 'emigrating' to In February 1982
members were asked about their availability to umpire in |
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President: Jim Barry |
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It is noted that, in
the December 1982 meeting, correspondence was read including Alfie Linehan's "half
letter"! It was also recorded that
the NCU had agreed to the NICUA request for a 10 minute break in 60 over cup
matches. A meeting was had been
arranged with the Leinster CUA for 5th December in It was noted at the
January meeting that Joe Vaughan, Dai Jones and Murray Power were to visit
the |
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President Jim Barry |
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The subscription was raised
to £3. In November 1983 the
death of Archie McQuilken (Muckamore
and In December 1983 a
letter which had been received from North Down was discussed. This referred
to an incident in a cup match with CIYMS. North Down stated that they had
written to the MCC for an opinion. The incident was that in a Monday evening
continuation of a Saturday game, a not out North Down batsman had no kit.
North Down wanted him to come in later on but CIYMS were not agreeable to this.
The umpires ruled "bat or be retired out". This was quite correct.
North Down didn't believe that the umpires were right. However, the NICUA
heard nothing further on the matter! |
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President :Jim Barry |
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At the AGM Dai Jones
retired as NCU Umpires Appointments Secretary. He said that he felt strongly that
there should be umpiring representation in the NCU Executive. It was agreed
to approach the NCU about this matter. It was also agreed to hold the AGM on
a 2 year basis so that officers would, in fact, be elected for a two year
period. The £5 umpiring fee
was discussed. Murray Power said that there had been no change for some time
now and if clubs could afford professionals then a rise in fees was overdue.
It was proposed to ask the NCU for an increase to £10 for 1985. In Nov 1984 Colin
Samuels sent a cheque from Peter Lunney was
congratulated on his appointment to succeed Dai Jones as NCU Umpires
Appointment Secretary. In March 1985 the
suggestion from the ACU to form an In April 1985 the £10
fee for umpiring a match was confirmed by the NCU. Murray Power was co-opted
on to the NCU Umpires Committee but not necessarily as a NICUA representative.
There was also a plea from the Grounds Committee for more Umpires' Reports on
grounds. |
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President: Jim Barry |
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It was formally
approved at the AGM to hold General Meetings every 2 years. Officers were therefore
elected for 2 years at this meeting. Peter Lunney was thus the first Chairman
to hold office for 3 consecutive years. It was proposed that
the Association ask the NCU to include NICUA Office Bearers in the NCU
Handbook. It was reported that
the Association was 'disturbed' that an assurance, given to the umpires by
the NCU Chairman, that a particular report by an umpire would be severely
dealt with , did not in fact happen. This was a
report regarding players giving dissent during matches. A meeting was held on In January 1986 it was
announced that the North West of England ACU had agreed that a steering
committee be formed to lay the basis of a branch. This would form the nucleus
of a branch and would set up the persons for the various offices. Murray
Power already had volunteers and a target was set for an Autumn inaugural
meeting. In March 1986 a poll
of the top three sections, on umpiring standards, was conducted by the NCU.
The feedback praised umpires in general and expressed satisfaction at umpiring
standards. |
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President: Jim Barry |
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Accommodation for
umpires within club pavilions was discussed at the October meeting and it was
felt that if a separate changing room was not provided, then umpires should
change in their own cars. Murray Power reported
slow progress on branch formation, but said that the steering committee would
be formed during the winter. He was meeting Robert MacClancy of In November it was
stated that the NCU had agreed to an Umpire's representative on the NCU
Executive Committee. Stanley Long was elected to represent NICUA for 1986/87. It was also reported
that an ACU meeting had been arranged for Sunday 16th November in In January 1987
consideration of a move to a more spacious venue was debated. It was
eventually decided to remain at Lisburn CC. At this meeting there was a
record attendance of 24 umpires. |
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President: Jim Barry |
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It was agreed that the
Secretary, Treasurer, Chairman and Vice-Chairman would act as an emergency
committee as and when necessary. It was also agreed to elect our NCU representative
at our AGM. The issue of insurance was raised - NICUA umpires have cover in
both NCU and ACU schemes. In February 1988
umpiring appointments were discussed. A claim was made that some Section I
clubs were unhappy with the umpires they had received. |
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1988/89 President: Jim Barry |
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At the October 1988
meeting Gerry Warburton - MC at recent social evenings - was made an Honorary
Life Member. It was also reported
that Joe Vaughan had umpired in all four provinces of Murray Power was to
obtain a copy of the ACU video "Umpiring with Dickie
Bird". In April 1988 it was
decided that any new umpires who were not known as players, or who had nor
attended a course, would be interviewed by a sub-group of the NCU Umpires
Committee before being appointed to matches. |
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President: Jim Barry |