Jack Asher (1927 – 23 June 2015) was a Scottish

shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, an ...

player,

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...

and administrator.

Sporting career

Asher lost an eye at the age of 12 after an accident with an air rifle. Although born in Glasgow, he went to school in

Nethy Bridge Nethy may refer to: *Nethy Bridge, village in Strathspey in the Highland council area of Scotland *River Nethy The River Nethy ( gd, Neithich / Abhainn Neithich) is a right bank tributary of the River Spey in northeast Scotland. It rises as the G ...

. He attended the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and was inextricably linked with

Glasgow University Shinty Club Glasgow University Shinty Club is a shinty club from Glasgow, Scotland. Although formally a University Shinty team, representing the University of Glasgow, it has a long history of competition in national competition. History Founded in 1901 ...

. He was the club's honorary president until his death. He received a

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

for playing with the University and also received one for

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

. He was a founder member of Glasgow Kelvin. After he stopped playing shinty Asher became a very well respected referee. He was to officiate at three

Camanachd Cup The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup known as the Camanachd Cup (or less commonly the Scottish Cup) is the premier competition in the sport of shinty. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shin ...

finals, 1972, 1974 and finally 1991, at the age of 64. He received a specially created Centenary Award from the

Camanachd Association The Camanachd Association (in Scottish Gaelic, ''Comann na Camanachd'') is the world governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty. The body is based in Inverness, Highland, and is in charge of the rules of the game. Its main competitions ...

in 1999. In 2008, Glasgow University hosted a special testimonial for him where he was presented with a silver caman as well as another presentation from

Kyles Athletic Shinty Club Kyles Athletic Shinty Club is a shinty team from Tighnabruaich, Argyll, Scotland. It is one of the sport's most illustrious names, presently playing in the Marine Harvest Premiership with their second team is playing in South Division one. In 20 ...

that day in mark of his long friendship with shinty in that area. His day job outside shinty was as a History teacher at

Crookston Castle Secondary School Rosshall Academy is a secondary school in the Rosshall ( Crookston) area of Glasgow, Scotland. The school was formed in August 1999 to merge Penilee Secondary School (Penilee) and Crookston Castle Secondary School ( Pollok) and moved to a new ...

. He was a keen hill-walker and his strong physical fitness allowed him to continue to attend games until very late in his life. Asher was entrusted with the

Skeabost Horn Skeabost ( gd, Sgeitheabost) is a township, at the head of the sea loch, Loch Snizort Beag in the southern end of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It was t ...

, one of the finest trophies in the sport. He spent the final years of his life as a referee assessor. Skeabost Horn

References

External links

Jack referees the 1991 final
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asher, Jack (shinty) 1927 births 2015 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow Shinty players