Barry Meyer was an international umpire for 16 years © Getty Images
Barry Meyer, a Gloucestershire veteran, a football player and later a distinguished umpire, has died in Mount Edgecombe in Durban aged 83. He was a wicketkeeper for his county, and represented them in 406 First-Class games between 1957 and 1971. He played football for Bristol Rovers, Plymouth, Newport County, Bristol City and Hereford United, and umpired in 26 Tests and 23 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). He umpired in the famous Headingley Test of 1981, which had England scripting a stunning turnaround. He also officiated in two World Cup finals — 1979 and 1983. His cricketing journey had, however, been stumbled upon as he used to help the Gloucestershire groundstaff before being asked to keep wickets for them.
As a 24-year old, he had featured in Bristol Rovers’ 4-0 victory against Manchester United in the FA Cup at Eastville. He participated in 139 matches for Rovers, scoring 60 goals.
His playing career was followed by a foray into umpiring, and despite three years of being ‘useless’ (in his own words) in it, he stuck around and grew into his job. He eventually served for 16 years as an umpire. He coached and umpired in South Africa, too.