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Ray Montgomery (umpire)
Ray Montgomery (1929 – 1 August 2009) was an Australian rules football umpire. Montgomery umpired in the West Australian National Football League (now known as the West Australian Football League) and the Victorian Football League.[1][2] Working lifeHe began his working life as a coach builder for the Western Australian Government Railways at the Midland Railway Workshops. After going to teacher's college he became an art teacher, becoming an Arts Master at Churchlands College.[3][4] Playing careerMontgomery played football at school and in the Temperance League before playing reserve grade for Swan Districts. His playing career was brought to an end by a cracked vertebra.[4] Umpiring careerMontgomery commenced umpiring football with Metropolitan Juniors in 1949.[1] WANFLMontgomery joined the WANFL umpiring panel in 1950 and was soon umpiring league football, making his debut in a match between East Fremantle and Swan Districts at Fremantle Oval in Round 4 of the 1952 season.[5] In 1959 Montgomery officiated in his first grand final, between East Perth and Subiaco at Subiaco Oval.[6] During Round 1 of the 1956 season Montgomery reported Jack Sheedy for using abusive language towards him, to which Sheedy responded at the tribunal by swearing on a bible that Montgomery had reported the wrong player. Despite the theatrics, Sheedy was found guilty of the charge.[7][8] In 1963 he made a complaint to the WANFL over an incident that occurred after he had umpired a match between East Fremantle and South Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval. He alleged that as he was walking out of the ground, a player drove a car toward him, attempting to run him over.[9][10] He retired in 1972 having umpired 308 WANFL league matches including five grand finals.[1][11] VFLWhile studying art at the Melbourne Technical College Montgomery umpired two league matches during the 1965 Victorian Football League season.[12][13] Later life and legacyMontgomery was responsible for redesigning the Swan Districts logo after Swans coach Haydn Bunton, Jr. suggested it needed livening up.[4] After retiring Montgomery took up bowls and was a member of the Manning Bowls Club for over three decades.[4] The award for best WAFL field umpire is named the Ray Montgomery Medal in his honour.[1] In 2002 Montgomery was named as one of three field umpires in the WANFL Umpires Association Team of the Half Century.[14] In 2004 he was inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.[15][16] References
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