We have recently managed to gain promotion from “B” to (elite) “A” club status with the Devon Hockey Umpiring Association (DHUA). This is thanks largely to the number of neutral umpiring appointments that some of our umpires undertook during the period July 2016 to June 2017 (a total of about 20 appointments from Tom, Maggie, Steve, Jack, Jon M and Mike); and maintaining two Devon Pool/West Umpires on our books has also helped with extra “brownie” points.
This represents another very welcome step forward after we dropped to “C” status at the beginning of the 2015-16 season and means that the fee payable for DHUA-appointed umpires reduces considerably, from £15 to £8 per umpire – saving us a projected £400-£500 over the new season. Additionally, we now enjoy increased priority when it comes to DHUA’s allocation of available Pool umpires for our home fixtures (mainly the Men’s 1st & 2nd XI). Mike Dutton will again be encouraging some of our umpires to repeat last season’s efforts as far as neutral umpiring appointments is concerned; that won’t be easy, but we cannot allow ourselves to rest on our laurels.
The notification from Matt Reynolds of DHUA reads: