Mud Track to Delhi

From player-umpire to technical official at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.  The road to Delhi has been long and enjoyable for Jeff Brown who started umpiring on muddy fields in Auckland in the 1970s.

Taking up hockey when at Medical School he was challenged to do better when he doubted some of the decision making experienced in the lower grades he was playing.  Whistling before or after playing each wet or muddy Saturday, he learned to cope with extremes of winter and the support, or otherwise, of players and other umpires.  Progressing to senior games as umpire (and player) he achieved local then national grading.

His medical training took Jeff to Whangarei and Christchurch, by which stage he was umpiring at national tournaments, but he credits moving to the Manawatu for the heights he has achieved as a hockey official.  Indoor hockey was very strong in the 1990s and Jeff got to umpire several regional and national finals before a trip to Australia with the New Zealand team led to a decade of appointments to Australian National Tournaments, his International grading, and Test matches in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and England.  He also enjoyed experience on the NHL panel and games in the EHL.

His international highlight was umpiring at the 2003 Indoor World Cup in Leipzig where he rubbed shoulders with the very best players and umpires from around the world.

Alongside his playing and umpiring he was given umpire manager roles, then was Tournament Director at 2007 and 2008 National Senior tournaments which he helped rebuild into a strong four division men’s and women’s competition.  In 2009 and 2010 he was Tournament Director for National Under-21 and in 2010 has taken over from Dave Craven as Tournament Director for the National Hockey League.

Jeff’s technical official skills have been recognised by FIH appointments to the 2008 Junior Invitational tournament in Kuala Lumpur, to the 2009 World Cup Qualifier in Invercargill, and now to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Along his umpiring and officiating journey he has always tried to accept any opportunity offered, to give each and every game his very best, and to enjoy the efforts of others to achieve their peak performance, sometimes with a little of his help.  He has given a lot to hockey, but been rewarded even more from it, including friendships at every level of the game. 

Although retired from international umpiring, Jeff continues to umpire locally, and at national and international Masters tournaments.  And he still plays.  But no longer in mud.