IN MEMORY OF UMPIRES.
RON JONES
Our Life President Ron Jones Esq. sadly passed away on Sunday 29th January 2012 after a short illness.
He will be greatly missed by all fellow Umpires in Cheshire.
RON JONES
One of Ron’s long standing ambitions was to umpire a Meller Braggins Cheshire League match in his 80th year. Being still fit and alert The Association had absolutely no problem in agreeing to this request. To complete his umpiring journey he also wished to umpire a League match with his long standing friend Roy Twiggs. The pair were appointed to a League game atCholmondeley but unfortunately Roy was taken ill and in any event the weatherintervened. However Ron was given arousing send off in his last League match at Ashley Cricket Club.
David Ronald Jones was very much a man of Cheshire. His whole life both living and working took place in Mid Cheshire and it followed, that his cricket took the same route. He played for many years as a batsman at Arley Cricket Club and in fact was delighted to find during a visit a couple of years ago, that a photograph of Arley Cricket team, including himself still hung in the pavilion.
When he retired from playing he decided it was only right to put something back into the game and he turned his attention to the umpiring side. At that time there was a crying need in theCheshire Leagues for independent umpires and in 1982 he helped form the Cheshire Cricket League Umpires Association becoming its first Chairman. The addition of Meller Braggins to the title came a few years later when they became The Leagues main sponsors.
He steered and built The Association for many years until handing over to the current Chairman, myself, when he felt it was ready for a change. It will be appreciated that since inception The Association has had only 2 Chairmen and, personally, I am still finding Ron a very difficult act to follow.
During this time his own reputation as a leading amateur umpire was established and he stood in many local top class matches including those involved with Lancashire 2nd X1s at Old Trafford.
Initially once the Meller Braggins Umpires Association had been formed there was no question of sitting on his laurels and, along with Ken Merrill he set about running courses in Cheshire to improve standards of umpiring including giving practical advice to new and up and coming umpires.
Once Ken Merrill retired from the scene, Brian Ludlow took over the training with Ron and a number of members of the current the panel remember these training sessions. I myself came into the picture some 20 years ago and was guided by Ron initially through the then written examination and in fact he made sure I went a step further and personally took me to Old Trafford to complete the oral. I recall it being an absolutely filthy darknight, pouring with rain, and Ron’s gentle threat that if I did not pass I could walk back home. The evening did go my way and I’m pleased to say I returned without getting wet.
After many years the technology of training presentations became too complicated and he decided hand over the reins of Senior Training Officer to Ian Bishop.
After an illustrious career in both umpiring and training he then became President of The Cheshire Cricket League itself for 10 years up to 2010, President of the newly formed Cheshire Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association and Life President of The Meller Braggins Umpires Association. The unique achievement of being President of the 3 organisations simultaneously still stands and will probably do so for some time.
Although a couple of the presidencies went by the board of his own volition, he did maintain the Presidency of the Meller Braggins Umpires and continued to show a keen interest in its progress.
Stories about Ron are legion but I always remember clearly a couple. It was fairly well known that he always carried a bag of sweets in his pocket when umpiring and, on one occasion,having turned down numerous appeals from one bowler, at the end of an over Ron stood in front of him, took out his bag of sweets, and offered him one with the now famous words “don’t say I don’t give you anything”.
The other comment, not really a story came from Tony Barnes who always enjoyed standing with Ron and proclaimed on one occasion, “I love it ……it’s like standing with the Archbishop of Canterbury”.
Always a great family man looking on his wife Margaret, his sons and his grandchildren with immense pride, a second love, I think I can say, was cricket.
This is a very sad occasion for all of his colleagues and friends and we are going to miss his wisdom and sense of humour.
I don’t know how we are going to replace him.
Dave Lawson
Chairman Meller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League Umpires Association
That's terribly sad news, Ron umpired at Ashley a few years ago for the last time and the players formed a guard of honour as Ron walked out.
Please pass on the sympathy of everyone at Ashley to Ron's family, he will be fondly remembered by everyone at the club.
Regards
Brian Birtles
Ashley CC.
I am very sad to hear of Ron’s passing. I would echo Brian’s thoughts having played cricket for a long time in the MBCCL and passed many hours chatting with Ron about cricket and life either in his role as umpire and later in his trips rounds the grounds with his wife. Indeed I played in his last game as an umpire at Ashley and formed a guard of honour fo rRon as he made his way to and from the pitch.
His will be sorely missed and leaves us with good memories.
Regards
Dave Woods
Ashley CC.
Ron was my first contact when I joined the MBCCLUA and he made me very welcome.
I got the chance to Umpire with Ron on a few occasions and I could not believe the respect that he had from all players in the League.
One game at Cholmondeley during a break due to rain he even had time to discuss with a fellow Umpire on his mobile phone a few points regarding if they should have been playing.
Hope you have the toffees with you Ron, you will be sorely missed.
Barry Bishop, Umpire
One incident that reminds me of Ron was at a League cup final several years ago - Ron was there as President of the League immaculately dressed as usual in blazer and league tie.
It was a sunny evening and one of the umpires had forgotten his tie so both umpires decided not to wear ties.
At the final ball all hell let lose fisticuffs the lot in the miuddle of the square ( not cricket but well dealt with later by the Disciplinary Committee), Through this mass of flying fists strides the immaculately dressed Ron, heading straight for the two umpires and saying to them 'that he was extremely disappointed in that they were not wearing ties'
I believe that just two words descibes Ron 'A GENTLEMAN'
Ron was my mentor from the first time I attended one of his courses in 1982
Ron was Presdent of the League, Life President of the Umpires Association and President of the Cheshire Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association -
showing in what high esteem he was held in throughout Cheshire cricket
Ian Bishop, Secretary and Treasurer
It was my great privilege to stand with Ron in his last umpiring appointment at Ashley. This was on the 8th September 2007 ; they were playing Brooklands. There was a lovely guard of honour from both teams as he walked out , and much generous applause for his 40 years of umpiring.
It was also my privilege to have been instructed by Ron at Bowdon Vale CC from September to December 1992. He and Brian Ludlow were the course instructors at that time.
One of the first things Ron said on the first night was " If you come off the field , and you've only made two mistakes , you've done really well ". I remember being a little shocked by those words , but they stuck with me , and how true they are. All umpires make mistakes : the players should realise that so would they , if they were umpiring.
On the course , Ron just had a few bits of cricket equipment , a copy of Tom Smith's book , and a few hand outs. The instruction we got was excellent , and he was not afraid to contact the MCC laws committee to clarify contentious points. The exam in those days was a 3 hour written exam , and if you mucked up the LBW question , you failed the whole paper .
Ron was a charming and unflappable umpire , with a large quantity of toffeees in his pocket. At a quiet moment in the game , Ron would shout my name loudly , and I would be summoned over . At the very last minute , when I was wondering what on earth was wrong , he would say.... "Would you like a toffee ?"
May he rest in peace.
Patrick Hutchinson, Umpire
RON JONES
I consider myself one of the elder statesman still playing first team
cricket and am very much looking forward to captaining Kingsley...a club
with all the right attritibutes...this season.
I think I have just about played first team cricket in the MBCCL in every
decade from 1970 though having a period in the County league and a much,
much longer period in the Essex Senior County League. Bear with me Dave
there is a point to all this! I have always thought the MBCCL umpires at
least the equal of any other league I have come across. There are lots of
characters the quality is good and like the MBCCL it is very well run.
Now Ron was very well liked and respected by the players. I personally hold
great store by how rival players and umpires greet me ( lets forget oh the
old git is on again!). I knew I had " arrived" on my return to the league
when Ron took me to one side and gave me one of his sweets and said it was
nice to see me again. I always managed to get a couple of sweets whenever we
met up. I also had the pleasure whilst at Alvanley on one of Ron's last
games when Jeff Langham alerted me to the fact and all 22 players clapped
him onto the field a gesture that clearly meant a lot to him and thanks to
Jeff I am delighted to have been able to organise.
Dave I have only just heard the news. I am on business out of the county on
Friday. I shall see if I can change my appointments but fear I may not be
able to. Regardless I shall pause and think on a genuine and thoroughly nice
man who did a lot for our sport and our league!
Kind regards
Peter Pearce
I didn't know Ron Jones very well, but I much appreciated the trouble he took to visit our club as President, watch the
Cricket, come round for a chat, have a cup of tea. It went a long way to make a small club welcome to MBCCL. He did good work.
Many thanks,
Glen Nightingale
I was also on my way to holiday when hearing of Ron's passing. As you will have read previously from my other mentor's comment I held Ron in the highest esteem. On taking up umpiring after a number of years listening to the deafness of my appeals he taught along with his fellow instructors the art of umpiring and you quickly realised umpires of his calibre were usually right and naturally I believe all umpires follow his lead of being honest,mistakes can be made but honesty is paramount.
I am sure he is already doling out the toffees and the friendship we all had with Ron.
On behalf of Chelford and myself may he rest in peace.
Tony Barnes Esq. | 
Ron Jones Esq.
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