CRICKET: Ethan is youngest qualified umpire

10:00am Monday 27th September 2010 in Cricket

Ethan Peel in action during a game Ethan Peel in action during a game

A teenager from Wallingford earned his place in the history books after becoming the youngest qualified umpire in Britain.

Ethan Peel, 15, has been studying for a BTEC intermediate certificate in cricket umpiring at Oxford Brookes University as part of an initiative by the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring (IICUS) to recruit young officials.

GCSE student Peel, from had already completed modules on the laws of the game and field management, man management and duty of care.

And on Saturday he finished the final phase of the qualification when he independently umpired a friendly match between Tiddington and London-based NomadsTiddington won by four runs.

Afterwards, Ethan, a year 11 student at Wallingford School, said: “It's a good job that I've got parents who get me to games and a supportive coach who has really helped.

“I hope that what I've achieved will lead on to other young lads getting involved in umpiring. I only started out last year after my father told me about the course.

“I've rolled on from there, doing classroom-based studies and then umpiring 15 to 20 games at adult and youth level this year. It has been good.

“It would be nice to progress on to umpiring professional cricket but I'm taking it all one step at a time.”

“I've always been a huge cricket fan but it was never something I thought I would actually be able to get a qualification in.

“I’m really looking forward to getting my certificate next year so I can get stuck in and, you never know, maybe become the next Dickie Bird.”

Comments(18)

the northern end says...
11:01am Mon 27 Sep 10

yet banned from umpiring in the Cherwell League as he's under 18.

Strange......

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fronfoot says...
11:27am Mon 27 Sep 10

not strange - dumb! Always hear about struggles to find umpires, always hear about importance of getting youngsters into the game, and yet here's an opportunity to get a lad involved with the game from an early age. Any young lad (and girl for that matter) keen on umpiring should be given every support and encouragement possible.

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Power says...
12:41pm Mon 27 Sep 10

Knowing how intimidating some of our leagues cricketers are to both other players and umpires, I think this is an issue of preventing child abuse rather than one of competency. To say they should be given encouragement is great, actually managing that in the middle of a game when a bowler is demanding that he give a batsman out is a completely different thing.

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cleverswindler says...
1:00pm Mon 27 Sep 10

I agree Power, he maybe is too young to have to deal with some of the more difficult characters. A shame players can't behave themselves, youngsters need to be encouraged, good luck to the young man.

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fronfoot says...
3:02pm Mon 27 Sep 10

well there's a few older umpires that don't handle that too well either. It shouldn't be an issue of age, just of competence. Why would you be happy with a weak 18 year old over a strong 15 year old? or a 50 year old that doesn't know the rules for that matter!

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Power says...
3:14pm Mon 27 Sep 10

As previously stated, it is not a question of competency, but of child protection. Taken to a certain degree, every player who is umpired by someone under 18 should technically have to go through a CRB check and approved. I take your point with the 50 year olds that are inept, but dont make this an issue of competency when it is clearly not.

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fronfoot says...
3:18pm Mon 27 Sep 10

what crap. There is no legal requirement for a CRB check in this situation. If you're unsure give them a ring, I think you'll be told there are no such "technicalities".

If there were every player that played with or against under 18 year olds would also have to have checks.

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cleverswindler says...
3:32pm Mon 27 Sep 10

I'm not sure you would have to CRB checked, but placing a 15 year old in a game of league cricket wouldn't be right. It would put a young person under way too much pressure and may put him off for life. We should be nurturing his interest, and encouraging him for the future. It's not a problem if an incompetent 50 year old calls it a day, but it would be a great shame if a young person got verbally abused and walked away from it all. I say wait until he's a bit older and more experienced.

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fronfoot says...
3:35pm Mon 27 Sep 10

swindler I agree with that, except to say I think that's a decision a lad should have the right to choose for himself. It's different if he's being forced to umpire, but if he's willing and competent I say go for it.

Presumably too you can make these same arguments about putting a 15 year old opening bat into the firing line? If he's good enough you do..... don't you?

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the northern end says...
3:46pm Mon 27 Sep 10

i think it's shocking that abuse is a justifyable reason for preventing an umpire from standing.

Verbal abuse and intimidation are not part of the game and should be stamped out.

I've played cricket throughout all the divisions of the cherwell league and league cricket for 16 years and never one given the umpire verbals. yes i've disagreed many times, yes i've called him a w****r to my team-mates, but never to the umpires face.

The sooner foul language to officials is removed from the game, the better.

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Power says...
3:55pm Mon 27 Sep 10

the northern end wrote:
i think it's shocking that abuse is a justifyable reason for preventing an umpire from standing. Verbal abuse and intimidation are not part of the game and should be stamped out. I've played cricket throughout all the divisions of the cherwell league and league cricket for 16 years and never one given the umpire verbals. yes i've disagreed many times, yes i've called him a w****r to my team-mates, but never to the umpires face. The sooner foul language to officials is removed from the game, the better.
Over the last 3 or 4 years, abuse has crept into the league, but some people seem to think it is acceptable and normal for this to happen. This is why it would be unwise to to have young, impressionable kids standing as umpires, making decision that someone wont like and then having to put up with the abuse and intimidation that is considered ok by some players (and captains).

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fronfoot says...
4:19pm Mon 27 Sep 10

no you got it right, some dicks just like to roll that way and this one would find you irresistible.

Abuse of officials is definitely a problem, but why it's somehow more acceptable when directed at a 70 year old than a 15 year old I can't comprehend. It's a muddled argument you present, and a curious idea of 'impressionable' 15 year olds too.

If your argument is correct then there should also be a case for removing under 18 year olds as player to prevent them receiving abuse from other older players (and erm "child protection" reasons).

Good enough = old enough

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Hillingdon Posh says...
10:11am Tue 28 Sep 10

There are sadly a couple of discrepancies.

Firstly the IICUS institution to my knowledge carries as much worth as an ashtray on a motorbike.

The young man is wearing an ACO badge on his coat. If thats the case and he has taken an IICUS course, which isnt nationally recognised by the ECB then his qualification is sadly not worth a carrot and you can take away the National flag waving.

Umpiring however like playing doesnt allow players to abuse minors. If a player abuses a minor, he can earn himself a trip down the cop shop if he crosses the line and abusing a minor umpire is no different.

Hopefully the young man in question is an ECBOCA member and he takes the correct course then fair play to him until then sorry old son......

Mark
Hillingdon
ECBOCA London & East Representative (Scorers)

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I've got a brand new combine harvester says...
10:35am Tue 28 Sep 10

The solution my fellow contributors is simple! we as players should encourage anyone who wants to be an umpire, lets face it all we want is consistency from a NEUTRAL umpire.
Let him stand in games with a fellow umpire, if the 'older' umpire feels there is a 'bit of pushing the boundaries' going on he should mention it to the captain, if it carries on then they can get dealt with by the league. we as players should respect his choice, and help him progress in the game to a level his ability takes him.

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fronfoot says...
10:40am Tue 28 Sep 10

I've got a brand new combine harvester wrote:
The solution my fellow contributors is simple! we as players should encourage anyone who wants to be an umpire, lets face it all we want is consistency from a NEUTRAL umpire.
Let him stand in games with a fellow umpire, if the 'older' umpire feels there is a 'bit of pushing the boundaries' going on he should mention it to the captain, if it carries on then they can get dealt with by the league. we as players should respect his choice, and help him progress in the game to a level his ability takes him.
spot on. It's just looking at it in the same way as nurturing a young player and its in players interests to support good young players AND officials.

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Malik says...
2:08pm Tue 28 Sep 10

So i guess everyone here who has an opinion has played in a game when ethan has umpired, or watched him umpire a game?

I have both and i think he is is an average umpire. That being said there are plenty of bad umpires out there who are past it an only going to get worse. Where as the more games the kid officals the better he should become.

It should e his decison on whether he wants to umpire in our league, and if he did he should be treated like all other umpires and an equal.

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Geary1 says...
3:49pm Tue 28 Sep 10

With the greatest of respect there has always been grief in the league and it is not something that has crept in over the past few years.

Sport by its nature is competitive and emotions overflow at times but it is the cheating that causes issues.

I remember when the league split from 20 to 10 teams the abuse that I experienced in our last game against Thame will always live with me and todays spats do not even remotely compare to walking off the pitch waiting for a mass punch up.

Characters were animated and verbal but the umpires didnt get involved. If players stop cheating then youngsters will have easier decisions to make and youth should be given its chance, as its stated above if hes good enough hes old enough

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mr_cricket says...
4:32pm Tue 28 Sep 10

Hillingdon Posh wrote:
There are sadly a couple of discrepancies.

Firstly the IICUS institution to my knowledge carries as much worth as an ashtray on a motorbike.

The young man is wearing an ACO badge on his coat. If thats the case and he has taken an IICUS course, which isnt nationally recognised by the ECB then his qualification is sadly not worth a carrot and you can take away the National flag waving.

Umpiring however like playing doesnt allow players to abuse minors. If a player abuses a minor, he can earn himself a trip down the cop shop if he crosses the line and abusing a minor umpire is no different.

Hopefully the young man in question is an ECBOCA member and he takes the correct course then fair play to him until then sorry old son......

Mark
Hillingdon
ECBOCA London & East Representative (Scorers)
I seem to remember when I was a minor playing in these leagues I got a fair amount of abuse from senior players on opposition teams. How come they never went down the cop shop?

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