ECB ACO Newsletter - Spring 2013

David Edwards (20 July 1941 - 4 February 2013) … by Bob McLeodIt was immediately obvious that a rare umpiring talent had arrived on thescene in the early 1970’s when David passed not only the 1973 ACU&Sumpires’ examination with ease but was awarded their national prize forbeing the outstanding candidate - “the most promising new umpire”. Hehoned his umpiring skills with Spencer CC in Surrey and BrondesburyCC in Middlesex. His knowledge of Laws, regulations and playingconditions was exemplary. This, together with his authoritative yet nonthreateningmanner, quickly led to Club Cricket Conference (CCC),Minor County and MCC appointments. Surrey County appointed Davidto County Championship Second X1 matches for 25 unbroken years.He was a founding member of the Surrey Championship Umpires Paneland retired only last season after 26 years’ service. He stood in manycup finals including the French Cup Final. In an Evening StandardChallenge Trophy Final at the Oval he had the strength of character togive out a leading batsman, at a critical stage of the match, forobstructing the field. He stood in the Surrey CCC v Pakistan match atthe Oval in 1983 in a World Cup warm-up match. He toured with theCCC, the Surrey Seniors and the MCC to all parts of the world and wasappointed by the Abu Dhabi Cricket Authority to stand in the Emirates’inaugural tri-nation one day competition between India A, Pakistan A andSri Lanka A. He also gave his time to the Cricket Foundation to stand intheir Chance to Shine – Six in the City Competition, from its inception.David Smith of Slough CC and later of Gerrards Cross CC andcaptain of both Buckinghamshire and the CCC records that in MinorCounties matches David “was always considered extremely fair by bothcaptains and players alike” and they “were always extremely pleasedwhen we saw that David was standing in our match”. Of the CCC tour toAustralia in 1987 he said that “David was an excellent tourist …alwaysvery much one of the party…involved in all aspects of the tour and verypopular with the opposition.” A rare accolade indeed! Stuart York ofHigh Wycombe CC and President Elect of the CCC recalled that David“retained his keenness and sense of humour” whilst “standing in 90degree heat for up to seven hours a day” throughout that tour.Such a record on the cricket field would be remarkable alone but, ifanything, it almost pales when considered with David’s achievements asa cricket administrator. Beginning at Spencer CC and later throughoutSurrey he immersed himself in many facets of administration andsucceeded in all. He was an ACU&S examiner for many years andeventually acted as Secretary to the Examination Board. He became avalued member of the Surrey Championship Executive Committee.When the Surrey Championship decided to set up an Umpires Panel in1987 he was part of the small team that achieved a flawless changeover.He took it upon himself to arrange the supply of Championship brandedclothing for the umpires. He was the Secretary of the Panel and laterbecame the Secretary of the Executive Committee. When the ACU&Smerged with the ECB (to become ECB ACO) David was part of the teamset up to advise the new body on smoothing out the wrinkles. With thecoming of the ACO, David was instrumental in setting up a SurreyCricket Board ACO - now one of the largest in England – and he was itsinaugural Chairman. Since 2009 that body has overseen the training ofmore than 100 new umpires in Surrey. When the Championship decidedto move half of their Premier Division matches to the limited overs formatDavid successfully used his wide knowledge of events in other countiesto introduce the necessary playing conditions. When, last season, theChampionship decided to use Duckworth-Lewis in its shorter form of thegame he was the mastermind behind a smooth start. From 2000 he wasSecretary of the ad-hoc committee that arranged exchanges of umpiresbetween Premier Leagues in the home counties. Recently he undertookthe planning and implementation of the Surrey T20 Competition onbehalf of the Championship.Every Saturday at the conclusion of his match he would retire to thepavilion to join his wife in taking the phone calls relaying the results forall matches in all divisions of the Championship. The results and tableswould appear unfailingly early on Sunday morning on the Championshipweb-site. (David, of course, was instrumental in setting up anddeveloping the site!) As Richard Spiller of the Surrey Advertiser reported“As a way of ruining 18 of the best weekends of the year, it takes somebeating” adding that David’s civil service mind “was probably the secretin making the Surrey Championship one of the best run sportingorganisations of its kind.”His devoted wife, Virginia, worked with David, creating a formidableteam in which he claimed modestly to be the junior to her “seniormanagement”. For about 20 years they patiently and painstakinglymade the umpiring appointments for the top 4 divisions of theChampionship – over 700 appointments per annum. Crispin Lyden-Cowan of Wimbledon CC, the current Chairman of the SurreyChampionship, whilst recognising David’s “tongue in cheek” humour,said that many Chairmen of the Championship had benefited from “thisutterly loyal, reliable and dedicated man” and that “our own local countyhero was the Surrey Championship”. He spoke for everyone in sayingthat “Our thoughts and love are with Virginia at this tragic time.”David was awarded a Surrey CCC OSCA (Outstanding Service toCricket Award) in 2009. Surrey CCC Chairman Richard Thompson saidof the “real Surrey stalwart” that “Having played club cricket myself Iknew David well – as did so many amateur players across Surrey. If theplayers are the bricks then David was the mortar in keeping club crickettogether in Surrey. He had an intimate knowledge of cricket across thecountry and his tireless work and effort is almost irreplaceable”.In 2010 David was awarded a National OSCA. Paul Bedford, Headof non-First Class Cricket at the ECB and a former Chairman of theSurrey Championship, said that David had been “a great servant to thegame, not just as an administrator but also as a friend to all colleaguesand captains acting in a selfless way”. David was created an HonoraryLife Member of ECB ACO last year. The flags at both the Oval and atLord’s were lowered to half-mast on the news of David’s sudden andunexpected death.David’s involvement in cricket was immense and the above merelytouches on some of his many achievements. David was a true giant inour cricketing world. The results of his labours are to be seeneverywhere. The theory that no-one is indispensable is about to beseverely tested in Surrey.David’s funeral at Croydon Crematorium and later at Old WhitgiftiansCC was attended by friends and colleagues from right across thecricketing spectrum. Virginia’s guess that 50 or 60 might turn out was alittle conservative. 300 or so would have been nearer the mark.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 27 contact us on 0121 446 2710