Last Thursday night I listened to FIFA referee Ramesh Ramdhan, who had officiated at the last World Cup, griping on the evening's television news because he had been superseded by fellow Trinidadian, 34 year old Michael Ragoonath, to officiate at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea from May 31 to June 30.
And as I sat in St Finbar's Roman Catholic Church, the following morning, Friday, where a Thanksgiving Service was being conducted for the life of Leonard Emmanuel Jardine, the first accredited FIFA referee in the Caribbean in the days of Errol James, the then "Jack Warner" of the day to Trinidad football, it was clear in my mind that the Len Jardine whom we all knew and respected, would never have entertained the thought that any appointment of his was cast in concrete, FIFA or otherwise. There would have been no arguments from Len nor any aspersions cast at the local body for a non- appointment as happened on Thursday night.
Jardine's FIFA accreditation came from the English body. He had been sent to Wales by the government to participate in an Audit Course, and it was there that 'Loro', as he was called by his peers, did the referees course, practicals, and received his appointment. Born 81 years ago, the oldest of Victor and Emily Jardine's nine children, Len's death followed a mere fortnight after his younger brother, Godfrey, a former National hockey player.
This very caring and devoted man to his wife, Sheila, sons Paul and Gregory, and grandchildren Danielle, Simon, Arron and Simone, worked for the first half of his life in the Civil Service ending as Acting Auditor General, and thereafter spent the rest of his life in private enterprise.
Len Jardine loved all sports and was an ex St Mary's and Shamrock footballer. As a FIFA referee, he officiated at numerous international soccer games, both here and abroad, earning much respect with his sense of fair play and integrity, something that he carried with him in everything that he did, which included racing handicaps for the local horse racing industry.
And for the Trinidad and Tobago Women's Hockey Association, Len was the official Auditor for many, many years, a task he undertook, free of charge, and with a great degree of pleasantness.
May he rest in peace.