The Association’s most prestigious trophy The Carl Couzens Memorial Jug will be presented for the first time at the September meeting. An exact replica of the Claret Jug awarded to the winner of The Open Golf Championship (denoting Carl’s great love of golf as well as football), the trophy will become one of the most sought after by our refereeing fraternity. 

The Memorial Jug will be handed over personally by Carl’s parents, Ian and Anita, who will be attending the meeting at Colney Heath FC on Monday 21^st September at 7.45pm.

Carl’s tragic death from a chronic asthma attack just three weeks short of his 37^th birthday last year came as a great shock to everyone, not least this Association in which he served as Secretary and Vice Chairman. Carl was one of the finest referees ever to emerge from our ranks and had graduated to the Football League before illness cruelly curtailed his involvement.

Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open Golf Champion, shows just how much the Claret Jug means after his success at Turnberry.
But who will be the first winner of the Association's replica, the Carl Couzens Memorial Jug?

Since his death, Association members have been at the forefront of raising funds for asthma research. By the start of the new season, the amount stood at over £3,500 and brought a letter of thanks from the Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Mr Fan Chung who is based at the Imperial College, London.

Let’s pay a special tribute to Carl’s memory with a good attendance next Monday as we discover just who will be the first recipient of this very special award. Carls’ parents will be presenting the Claret Jug to the member the Association Committee has decided has upheld the highest standards of refereeing, helped and monitored young colleagues and been prepared to go that extra mile in everything he has undertaken. In other words ‘an unsung hero.’

We shall also have some extra special raffle prizes on the evening plus a first class speaker in Ian Blanchard from the Football Association.

SO DON’T MISS THE BIG ONE – MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER, COLNEY HEATH FC, 7.45pm.  SEE YOU THERE!

Bill Hamilton
Treasurer/Membership Secretary

16 September 2009