Please note that Ulster League fixtures are due commence on Saturday 26th September 2020.

Please ensure all availability calendars are updated as soon as possible in order to enable the Appointments Coordinators to appoint to the scheduled games.

Regards

Umpires Executive

Thank you to everyone who attended the Ulster Hockey Umpires AGM on Thursday 3rd September at NICS in person and for those joined us via Zoom.

Our thanks to The Ulster Hockey President - Mr Terry Templeton for attending and chairing the meeting.

The elected committee for the incoming 2020/21 year is as follows

Ulster Umpires Executive

Chair - Linda Johnston

Vice Chair - Russell Donaldson

Secretary - George Redpath

Treasurer - James Wray

Appointments Coordinators - Neal Hermon & Lyn Morrow

Chair of Development - Ian Strange

Elected Members -

Allistair Campbell

Julie Fisher

Ian Parsley

P.J. Whyte

Appointments Selection Committee

Appointments Coordinators

Men’s panel - Neal Hermon

Ladies panel - Lyn Morrow

Development Committee Representative - Christine Reid

Independent Members - Les Allen & Gail Taylor

Development Committee

Chair - Ian Strange

Elected Members

Jonny Campbell

Linda Coughlan

Randal Kernaghan

Eamonn McFerran

Christine ...

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Date - 23rd September 2020

Venue - Seminar will be held via Zoom

Time - 19:00

The details for joining the Seminar will be issued via email closer to the time so keep an eye out for them in your inbox.

Thank you to everyone that attended this morning's IHUA Annual General Meeting. The meeting was completed in a very swift 40 minutes! At the meeting the following elections were made for the 2020/21 Executive Committee: -

Chair - Rob Argent

Vice-Chair - Vacant

Secretary - Jim Butler

Treasurer - Simon MacAllister

Exec. Member - Alison Keogh

Exec. Member - Christine Reid

Exec. Member - Russell Donaldson

Exec. Member - Robert Johnston

Exec. Member - Peter Murphy

Women's Appointment Coordinator - Kim Collins

Men's Appointment Coordinator - Tom Goode

Following Hockey Ireland's confirmation that Return to Hockey Protocols are now in place Ulster Hockey have advised that any Umpires involved or wishing to be involved in pre-season Tournaments or Friendlies will be covered as normal.

You will have hopefully seen the Hockey Ireland ‘Return to Play Protocols’. There will undoubtedly be a number of questions that members will have about different aspects of the Protocols which is totally understandable. The safety of our members has been paramount in our discussions with Hockey Ireland regarding the Return to Play Protocols.

We are presently putting together an Umpiring Advice and Guidance Document which will hopefully provide more clarity about the expectations of our role within competitive play.

We appreciate that it is difficult to predict how the COVID situation will progress, however we would like to know your opinions, based on the situation as it currently stands. A questionnaire has been sent to all IHUA members via email. All responses will be treated in confidence. You do NOT need to supply your name and individual responses will not be shared outside of the Executive Committee. Please respond by Tuesday 25 September!

We are all keenly awaiting the release of confirmation of the arrangements for the restart of hockey but we still await the necessary authority and guidelines from Hockey Ireland.

Therefore I would like to reiterate that the current advice is that no umpire should officiate at any hockey match, whether a friendly or a club tournament because without any Hockey Ireland guidance there is no competitive authority from our governing body and no insurance cover.

Until this guidance is issued Ulster Umpires will not be making any appointments.

Linda Johnston

Interim Chair

Umpires Executive Committee

All IHUA umpiring appointments will be covered by insurance for official matches played in accordance with the Hockey Ireland Covid regulations and guidance. 

We will ask the Provincial Associations to confirm the insurance situation with its members in relation to official appointments within their region, in case there is any disparity with the National position. 

Umpires are recommended NOT to umpire unofficial or friendly matches in the current climate UNLESS they seek and obtain the required assurances from the match/tournament organisers regarding insurance cover.  In these circumstances, the officiating of an unofficial or friendly match/tournament is entirely your own personal decision.  Stay safe! 

We are aware of a few problems that have developed at the end of last season and the start of the current season with some of the UmpireTalk radios, mainly due to natural wear and tear. Of course there are a number that continue to work with no problems.

This notice is just to say that we are working on solution in conjunction with the Provinces as everyone recognises the widespread importance of radio usage for all matches. It is important that we try and get a radio that suits our wider needs as well as ensuring the cost is affordable. For this reason we will be looking to test some options in the next couple of weeks.

If we can agree on a radio then realistically we are probably looking at just after Christmas for their introduction.

Folks

Please do not ask to swap games on WhatsApp, Facebook or any other medium. If you are not able to fulfil a fixture then YOU MUST let the relevant appointments secretary know and they will remove you from the game and appoint a replacement.

There are selection committees that make these appointments and umpires are appointed to most games for a number of reasons so we cannot just swap when we need to sorry

Thanks