EULAC_6676 John Holder "Born and brought up in superlative St George, John was educated at St Giles School, then Combermere High School, representing Combermere at first team level in Barbados first division cricket competition.\r\nIn 1964, he migrated to the UK under London Transport\u2019s recruitment scheme to work on the Underground as a guard. The BBC invited him to play in its cricket team, where he joined two other Barbadians, Rodney Norville and the late Dr Bertie Clarke. At this stage he bowled genuinely fast and Dr Clarke recommended him to Hampshire to play county cricket.\r\nA serious back injury brought an end to his County career, after which he moved back to Barbados briefly. An offer to return to the UK and go to Lancashire to play as professional in League cricket saw him leave Barbados for the second time. League cricket was much less stressful, playing just at weekends rather than seven days a week at County Level.\r\nIn his mid-thirties and with his playing career coming to an end, he joined the English First Class Umpires Panel, where he was employed for twenty seven years. In 1988, history was made when he was appointed to stand in his first Test match, at Lord\u2019s. He was the first black person to stand in a Test match in England. The following year while umpiring he became part of the first neutral umpires, when he was chosen to officiate in the Test series in Pakistan with India. In total he stood in eleven Tests, twenty three ODI\u2019s and several finals.\r\nHe became a full member of MCC in 1999, going on seven tours with teams to Kenya (twice), Greece, Italy, Uganda, Namibia and the Cayman Islands. He was also a member of MCC\u2019s Laws working Party, a panel which drafts the laws of cricket worldwide.\r\nIn 2008 the ICC appointed him as a Regional Umpires Performance Manager with responsibility for Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas, a post he held until his decision to retire at the end of 2010." This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 693669. arrival Story arrival TEXT University of St Andrews EULAC "Born and brought up in superlative St George, John was educated at St Giles School, then Combermere High School, representing Combermere at first team level in Barbados first division cricket competition.\r\nIn 1964, he migrated to the UK under London Transport\u2019s recruitment scheme to work on the Underground as a guard. The BBC invited him to play in its cricket team, where he joined two other Barbadians, Rodney Norville and the late Dr Bertie Clarke. At this stage he bowled genuinely fast and Dr Clarke recommended him to Hampshire to play county cricket.\r\nA serious back injury brought an end to his County career, after which he moved back to Barbados briefly. An offer to return to the UK and go to Lancashire to play as professional in League cricket saw him leave Barbados for the second time. League cricket was much less stressful, playing just at weekends rather than seven days a week at County Level.\r\nIn his mid-thirties and with his playing career coming to an end, he joined the English First Class Umpires Panel, where he was employed for twenty seven years. In 1988, history was made when he was appointed to stand in his first Test match, at Lord\u2019s. He was the first black person to stand in a Test match in England. The following year while umpiring he became part of the first neutral umpires, when he was chosen to officiate in the Test series in Pakistan with India. In total he stood in eleven Tests, twenty three ODI\u2019s and several finals.\r\nHe became a full member of MCC in 1999, going on seven tours with teams to Kenya (twice), Greece, Italy, Uganda, Namibia and the Cayman Islands. He was also a member of MCC\u2019s Laws working Party, a panel which drafts the laws of cricket worldwide.\r\nIn 2008 the ICC appointed him as a Regional Umpires Performance Manager with responsibility for Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas, a post he held until his decision to retire at the end of 2010." 52.84259457223952 -0.5053710937500001 13.156966976091121 -59.54130649566651