Like many others, it was a surprise when you joined the Umpiring fraternity. Had you planned to do this when you retired?
Absolutely not! I still enjoyed being competitive, so when I stopped playing cricket, which was probably around 1998, I had no real involvement or interest in local cricket. I still kept an interest in the wider game and indeed collected cricket books quite avidly. But I gravitated to the golf course at Holywood, as did quite a few guys who I'd played cricket and rugby with over the years.
We had some great craic and always tried to tee off on a Saturday afternoon at around the same time the cricket or rugby would have started. And believe me, there's some fierce competitive instinct on display when you're playing with or against folk for the odd pound or two!
Then, around 2015, for some reason I wanted to get involved in cricket again. So, I rang Ian Houston, got myself on an umpire course and that was that.
Some might say you 'turned from poacher to gamekeeper' in that switch as you weren’t short of opinions on and off the pitch. Have you mellowed?
I reckon I have. "Mellow" essentially means to soften, be made more gentle with age and experience and I think that time has done that for me. I absolutely wasn't short of opinions and I tended not to hold back on giving them when I was younger. Indeed, when I think of some of the things I did and said on the field of play I'm rather embarrassed, and it probably cost me the odd opportunity! But when I was young I was short sighted: all I thought about was winning the game; the result was everything.
Gradually, I came to realise that cricket is about so much more than that. The most important thing is to respect the game, to help grow and sustain it and to leave it in a better place for those who follow. That might sound a bit trite, but I'd hate to think that cricket would ever disappear, so we must protect and cherish it. Imagine if your kids or grandkids didn't have the opportunity to play?
All that said, I still have some very forthright opinions and I'm not afraid to share them, but I hope that I now do that in a much more considered way.
You played in some of the great eras of Irish cricket and you must have some great memories and achievements. What was special for you?
Really it just was just about being involved in the game. My dad gave me the bug when I was very young. I played it in the garden and in the street, I watched it on TV, albeit very little was shown, I listened to it on the radio and I read about it. And when I was old enough to play it at school and then at club level, I did. I sort of lived from one match to the next during the summer and avoided going on family holidays. My mum and dad were happy to leave me! But I don't recall at the time when I was playing that it was a great era; it was simply the here and now.
I think that it's only in years to come that you can look back and make a judgement about what is or isn't a great era, and of course how can you really compare? I have plenty of memories and fewer, but some nice, achievements, but what was special was being able to play and being involved.
I played for Holywood all my days, perhaps dare I say, to my disadvantage, but there was great craic and camaraderie, a feeling of belonging and a feeling of in some way being important to the team. And the dressing room: there is nothing quite like the feeling of a dressing room after a good win! If you could bottle that feeling, it would be worth millions and it is one of the things that I miss most about not playing.
I suppose some of the Umpires in your playing career were special given you later joined the brigade?
I can't say that I became an umpire because of guys who umpired when I played. But, just as there have always been, there were characters and umpires who we were happy to see and, dare I say it, some who we were less happy to see. When I played, we didn't really know in advance who the umpires were going to be; you only found out when you got to the ground. And let's be honest, all umpires have their own ways and you get to know them and, indeed, play to them.
For example, there were some who you knew would be more inclined to give a decision if there were loud and concerted appeals, so a certain amount of orchestration undoubtedly occurred! Equally, others didn't know where their index finger was, so you approached them differently. Some enjoyed a chat, some didn't; some were very officious, others were relatively laissez faire.
And I do still vividly remember decisions both for and against me from many years ago. Probably best that that I don't mention names, but the one thing I think everyone knew was that you couldn't have a game without them.
When you became an Umpire you were regarded as a strong disciplinarian. Is this a problem these days? For example; sledging, questioning decisions etc.
I'm not sure whether I was or am regarded as a strong disciplinarian, in fact personally I think I have a relatively high level of tolerance. As for questioning decisions, personally I don't think it's got any better or any worse over the years. However, I think player behaviour and conduct is a different matter.
Frankly, and disappointingly, I think that there's been a gradual and inexorable drift towards more unacceptable behaviour on the field, whether that be in the tone, content, and volume of what's said to or about others and indeed its frequency. I have no doubt that some players, either individually or collectively, see it as part of a gameplan to affect the opposition.
Now, cricket is absolutely a competitive game in a competitive environment and there needs to be a contest. But there must be a line in the sand and I think that gradually more players and teams are pushing things. That's not good for the game long term.
I think umpires will probably need to be firmer, but this isn't, and can't be, just about umpires. Governing bodies, clubs, captains, and players all have a role to play individually and collectively in seeking to ensure that cricket is played the way it was and is intended. I think that captains are crucial in that mix. The Laws of Cricket are very clear: increase in professionalism probably adds to that.
You are also the Secretary of the Northern Ireland Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (NIACUS) which is vital to the well-being of Irish cricket. What do you bring to this office?
Well, first, I didn't go looking for the position! Our previous secretary had done his stint and had other things on his plate. Frankly, there wasn't really anyone else interested in doing the job, I was sounded out, said I'd give it a go and was the only nominee at the NIACUS AGM, so I was elected. I was happy enough to do it, mind you.
As for what I bring to the office, I'm not going to rehearse a whole series of interview soundbites, but it's worth saying I have worked with words all my life, love the game and know a fair bit about it, I think I'm a decent communicator, I have a bit of drive and gumption and I'm prepared to give my time voluntarily in the same way that others on the NIACUS committee do. People shouldn't forget that essentially we are volunteers.
Do you have any personal ambitions as an Umpire?
Other than to do the best I can each and every time I stand, not really. I'm realistic enough to know that I'm at the wrong end of the age and physical fitness scales to think that an international appointment is just around the corner, even if someone thought I had the ability! I'd just like to be able to stand for as long as I can, which given my dodgy knees might be a problem, but I'm now on the Cricket Ireland match referee panel and I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes next year.
Where do you best enjoy umpiring around the clubs? You must have some favourites? We won't mention the least enjoyment!
I love umpiring at what I think are proper cricket grounds as opposed to grounds at which cricket is played: there's a difference! And of course, cricket is all about people, so the people are equally important in the equation. I'm much less concerned about the quality of the pitches or the facilities.
We all have our favourites in whatever walk of life we move, but I'm going to be politically correct and simply say that we are ever so lucky to have some lovely cricket grounds and so many marvellous people throughout the NCU (and further afield!).
In your era virtually all the umpires shared a few drinks after games and we loved them. Has it changed these days?
That's an interesting one. I guess it has changed a bit. When I played, some umpires stayed, some didn't. It was a different era and perhaps there may have been a little less thought about drinking and driving! I always try to stay for a pint, but sometimes it's just not possible, particularly as there are now often matches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (there was no Sunday cricket when I started playing) and you need to be home and ready for the next game.
I don't mean to be cheeky, but there were some umpires who you knew liked to "get away early" and that once it got near 7 o'clock, an appeal might be more favourably looked upon. Mind you, I've been on both sides of those decisions!
If you want to Umpire how can I start?
Well, there's nothing to stop anyone from simply joining a club and volunteering to umpire. I mean, most matches every weekend are umpired by players or club members or parents or teachers etc. However, if anyone is interested in umpiring a little more seriously, then it's simply a matter of contacting NIACUS and we'll do the rest. There really is a great pathway for umpires now and it's hugely enjoyable and a marvellous way to keep involved and be part of the game. I'd urge folk to give it a go.
