Ivo Crapp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ivo Crapp |
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Ivo Crapp during his umpiring career
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Henry Crapp | ||
| Date of birth | 1872 | ||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 12 January 1924 (aged 51–52) | ||
| Place of death | West Perth, Western Australia | ||
| Umpiring career | |||
| Years | League | Role | Games |
| 1895–1896 | VFA | Field umpire | 28 |
| 1897–1905 | VFL | Field umpire | 147 |
| 1906–1919 | WAFL | Field umpire | 177 |
Henry "Harry" Crapp, also known as "Ivo" Crapp, was a very famous Australian rules football umpire. He was a top umpire in the Victorian Football League (VFL) when it started in the 1890s. He also umpired for the West Australian Football League (WAFL) in the early 1900s.
People called him the "Prince of Umpires" in the VFL. He was incredibly skilled and one of the best umpires ever in Australian rules football. He even umpired the very first game in the VFL.
Contents
Early Life and His Nickname
Henry "Harry" Crapp was born in Victoria, Australia, in 1872. His parents were Henry and Emma Crapp. In 1895, he married Priscilla "Prissie" Hulley. They had three children: Edward, Thomas, and May.
Why Was He Called "Ivo"?
Harry's older brother, William Henry Crapp, was known as "Ivo." This was because he looked a lot like Ivo Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley. Bligh was a famous English cricket captain who visited Australia in 1882.
When William stopped playing football, Harry took on his brother's nickname. That's how Henry "Harry" Crapp became known as "Ivo" Crapp.
Playing Football
Before becoming an umpire, Crapp played football himself. He played just four games for the Carlton team in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1893. After that, he decided to become an umpire. His older brother, William, also played for Carlton at the same time. William was known for being a great kicker.
His Umpiring Career
Umpiring in Victoria (VFA and VFL)
Crapp started his umpiring journey in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1895.
When the new Victorian Football League (VFL) began in 1897, he was chosen to umpire the very first game. This match was between Geelong and Essendon at Corio Oval. He also umpired the VFL's first-ever Grand Final in 1898.
Players respected Crapp a lot. He was tall, at 185 cm (about 6 feet 1 inch), which gave him authority. He was known as a very fair and skilled umpire. He could tell when a player was faking an injury to get a free kick.
In 1901, Crapp started a new practice. He would call out the reason for a free kick and say the player's name who was taking it. This idea was so good that other umpires soon started doing it too!
Back then, the main umpire had a lot more to do. They had to control the game on the field. They also had to throw the ball back into play when it went out of bounds. Boundary umpires, who do this now, only started in 1904. Until 1922, the main umpire even had to bring the ball back to the center after a goal was scored. Luckily, games were slower then, and Crapp stayed very fit.
By 1905, Crapp had umpired 198 matches. This included 147 games in the VFL. He also umpired 17 finals and 7 Grand Finals. He even umpired important games between states in 1899, 1902, and 1905.
Umpiring in Western Australia (WAFL)
In 1906, Crapp moved to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. He was promised a job and a contract to umpire for the Goldfields Football Association. But when he arrived, the job wasn't there. He decided to go back to Melbourne.
However, officials from the West Australian Football League (WAFL) stopped him in Perth. They convinced him to umpire a game in their league. They were so impressed that they quickly offered him a contract.
Crapp was just as amazing in the WAFL as he was in the VFL. He became the top umpire there. He umpired every final game from 1906 until 1914. He also umpired four important State Premiership matches.
Some people thought Crapp coached the East Perth Football Club in 1909. But it's unlikely because he umpired every week that season, even a final game East Perth played in. He might have helped the team in other ways. He may have also given advice to other WAFL teams sometimes.
In 1914, he went to Sydney to represent Western Australia as an umpire at a big national football carnival.
Crapp umpired 177 games in the WAFL before he retired in 1919. This brought his total career games to 352. His last big umpiring job was in 1921. He umpired an interstate game between Western Australia and Victoria, even though he was 48 years old!
Death
Ivo Crapp passed away at his home in West Perth, Western Australia on January 21, 1924.
Honours and Legacy
In 1996, Ivo Crapp was honored by being added to the Australian Football Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest people in Australian football history.
His award said that he was the VFL's first "Prince of Umpires." It mentioned that he umpired the very first VFL game in 1897. He retired from the VFL in 1905 after 147 games, including seven Grand Finals. Then he moved to Western Australia. He umpired 120 more games there, including three WAFL Grand Finals, before retiring in 1920.
