We currently have three awards which recognise the recipient for their achievements in officiating throughout the season. These awards are presented annually at the National Officiating Conference.

 

Services to officiating - Mary Clark Award

 

Mary Clark's involvement with basketball went back to her college days where she took coaching and refereeing qualifications as part of her teacher training. Once she left college she sought out the basketball contacts in her home town of Scunthorpe and became involved - even to the extent of marrying a player and a legend was born! She soon became involved with table officiating and trained a number of officials in the Yorkshire region. She was a wonderful proponent of the game who mentored officials unselfishly and was well known throughout the England Basketball realm for her 'no nonsense' style. She was part of the group of senior officials who wrote the first table official's manual and helped to standardise mechanics and raise the profile of table officiating countrywide. During the last stages of her terminal illness she requested that an award be set up to honour services to officiating which was to include not only table officials but referees, commissioners and statisticians as she felt that there was a gap in the recognition of this team of officials without whom games could not go ahead. Typically she didn't particularly want this to be in her name, but the Mary Clark Award was set up and presented for the first time a month after her death in August 2004.

 

Referee of the year - Steve Lallament Award

 

Major Steven John Lallament, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, tragically died of a heart attack aged 46 in 1998. It is a mark of his character and dedication that he died on a running machine working to regain his fitness after suffering a stroke earlier in the year. Steve was passionate about basketball and at the time of his death was at the peak of his refereeing career. He was also very proud to provide a service for Queen and Country in the British Army. As an experienced and respected referee for England Basketball he oversaw officiating for all Army basketball competitions throughout the country as well as touring many parts of the world with the Army teams. Steve officiated the highly prestigious International Military Tournament at the home of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium. As a Level 4 Referee, Steve was always ready and willing to assist with the mentoring of young officials and was as dedicated with this as he was with his own development. His death was a great loss to his family, England Basketball and the Army. To mark Steve's dedication to officiating this award was formed and is presented annually in his memory, to the referee who is considered to have made the most significant contribution and improvement to basketball officiating this season.

 

Table Official of the year - Bill Taylor Award

 

Bill Taylor qualified as International Referee in 1956 in Budapest, Hungary and officiated many games in Europe finishing his career in 1980. From then he mentored many officials in his own significant style including Alan Richardson, Roger Harrison and John Wells and many more who were active in the Midlands area. As a commissioner Bill worked alongside many quality table officials of that time including Alison Muir, Claire Ormandy and Mary Clarke. This inspired Bill to work towards introducing a table officials award scheme which has since been the method of producing new table officials throughout the country. In later years of life poor health meant Bill was restricted with his activity but was still as enthusiastic right up to his death in 1999. This award is a testament to the work Bill has contributed both as an active official and the work with the education and development of table officials awards that still produce officials today. This award will be presented to the table official who is considered to have made significant contributions and improvement to basketball officiating this season.