04-04-2023, 12:10 PM
I enjoyed the 60s, 70s and 80s where the players would give it to the umpires, umpires would give it back, and there was a real mutual respect. After all that during a game the umpires would then join players from both sides in the social club after the game for a beer. Decisions would be discussed, all enjoyed a beer and all go home happy. Probably the limit was calling the umpire a f idiot and even then umpires just passed that over often too.
Still remember Umpire Glenn James coming to our 1982 B & F, sitting with the players and mingling. He a good laugh when Ian Rice happily said "who can remember the magnificent coathanger delivered by Jimmy Buckley to Mick Malthouse in round 20, oh, I forgot, Glenn James is here" (it was a ripper of a coathanger too). I reckon there was so much more respect, player to umpire and vise versa back then (maybe Diesel and John Russo excepted)
Still remember Umpire Glenn James coming to our 1982 B & F, sitting with the players and mingling. He a good laugh when Ian Rice happily said "who can remember the magnificent coathanger delivered by Jimmy Buckley to Mick Malthouse in round 20, oh, I forgot, Glenn James is here" (it was a ripper of a coathanger too). I reckon there was so much more respect, player to umpire and vise versa back then (maybe Diesel and John Russo excepted)