Vale Richard Jewell

Hockey lost one of its most decorated umpires last Monday when Richard Jewell passed away aged 87. A highly qualified engineer, Richard is remembered as a person of great qualities, a “good bloke” and a real gentleman.

Commencing his playing (as he would acknowledge – down the grades) and umpiring career in Perth he quickly became one of WA’s best umpires, umpiring A Grade matches and finals alongside other top umpires Tom Bedalls and Gordon Getley.  Richard was highly regarded by players and coaches for his professional approach to umpiring and regularly umpired at National Championships through the 1960’s and 1970’ including many semi-finals and finals.

In 1967 Richard and his wife Maureen transferred to Canada for work and study and it was here he was elevated onto the International umpiring panel in 1971 with his appointment to umpire at the Pan America Cup in Cali in Columbia. Such was his level of umpiring, he was upgraded to International Grade 1 umpire and one year later Richard was umpiring the Olympic Final between Germany and Pakistan in Munich – a match remembered almost more for the controversy than the German gold medal.

Richard continued his stellar umpiring career, umpiring at three World Cups – Amsterdam (1973), Kuala Lumpur (1975) and Buenos Aires (1978). In 1976 Richard was also selected to umpire at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, followed by an invitation to umpire at the European Cup in Cologne in 1978 and the first junior World Cup in Paris in 1979.

Retiring from international umpiring in 1979, Richard was appointed as Umpires Manager for the Moscow Olympics before the boycott intervened and Richard complied with the Australian Hockey Association boycott and did not attend. Richard was also a member of the International Hockey Rules Board for many years.

For his service to hockey, Richard is a life Member of Hockey WA and was recently inducted into the HWA Hall of Champions, becoming the first umpire to be inducted.

Richard Jewell’s contribution to hockey umpiring and coaching has been enormous and his presence around hockey will be sadly missed. The hockey fraternity across Australia passes on its collective condolences to Maureen and her family.