Groom a long-time whistle blower

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Groom a long-time whistle blower

You won’t find too many people who can say they’ve goal umpired 700 games, but that’s exactly what will be happening when Roger Groom takes to the field on July 20 at Chidlow Oval when Chidlow takes on Mundaring in the Hills Football Association.

Groom, a life member of the Wundowie Football Club and the Hills Football Association, will be honoured on Sunday, with Chidlow secretary Jennifer Shannon organising a banner for before the game for Groom to run through as well as speeches after the game.
Groom started goal umpiring as a 20-year-old in the 1960s when he decided that he wanted to give it a try. “I just wanted to do it, so I did it,” he said. According to Ben Seabrook, the “encyclopedia” of all things Hills Football Association, Groom started volunteering in 1965 when he was playing for Wundowie Junior Football Club.

Since then, Seabrook estimates Groom umpires about 18-19 games a year, plus finals, as well as association games when he is needed. These days he goal umpires for Chidlow Football Club as Wundowie’s Senior Club is now defunct. Groom’s greatest memory dates back to 1990 when Wundowie won the grand final. “We went that season undefeated,” he said with great pride.

Seabrook, who Groom also believes is the greatest player he’s ever seen, with 10 association fairest and best’s, says Groom influences clubs by “just being there.” “The club never has to scout around to find someone to put on the white coat and pick up the flags and he never complains,” Seabrook said.

“Sometimes he has to goal umpire in the worst conditions, in the bitter cold and the most torrential or rain.” Although I don’t know if he minded much, with Groom recalling a game in Mundaring as his funniest moment. “It rained, and I mean, it rained. I came off the field and the boys turned to me and said, mate, you look like a drowned rat!” he said.

Groom does a lot of volunteer work for the community, working on ANZAC day, at the Wundowie Primary School and with the Progress Association, where he’s always there to lend a hand for the Wundowie Iron Festival. Groom is always on top of things, even if other people aren’t, where Seabrook tells the story where Wundowie was meant to play Swan Valley, only both teams turned up at the wrong ground, not Groom though, he was the only one in the right place.

Gemma Laidler

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