CRONTONIAN Fred 'FT' Leonard has been recognised as umpire of the year by the Merseyside Cricket Umpires Association.

Club captains filed scored reports on the umpires all season, with Fred, 79, coming out on top.

The Association was formed in 1990 when club umpires from the Liverpool and Merseyside Competitions banded together to provide neutral umpires for 1st XI matches in both competitions.

Mr Leonard, a lifelong cricket enthusiast, is now deciding whether to bow out on a high after being presented with the Bill Jones Memorial Trophy.

'I'm 79 years old now and I'm not sure whether my ankles will be up to standing for six hours,' said the former sailor.

'I've been assured this award was not for sentimental reasons!'

He also admits his travelling days have come to an end. After years in the merchant navy, taking part in the D-Day landings, Fred has watched Test Matches in South Africa and the West Indies.

In the Caribbean, he witnessed the highest ever score made by an individual.

'I saw Lara make his 400 against England in Antigua,' recalls Fred, who had various careers before retiring as an insurance agent.

'He batted for two days. A magnificent achievement.'

Should Fred, a member of Huyton Cricket Club since 1957, decide to stand down he will take away many fond memories of the game.

He recalls umpiring a ladies match: 'After the game I asked, 'Girls, how did we do?' They replied, 'We didn't notice you!'

But the man who scored his only century at the same time Geoff Hurst was hitting a hat-trick in the '66 World Cup Final shows no signs of losing his passion for cricket.

Currently engrossed in the one-day international series between Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa, Fred believes England are still better than their arch-rivals.

His verdict of the Aussies? 'They are an ageing team and rely too heavily on Brett Lee.

'They're scared of our big fast bowlers so they are trying to find one for themselves. They've got this lad who's 6ft 8 but he has to be good as well.'

Maurice Cassidy, 67, played with Fred at Huyton and is a fellow umpire.

He said: 'Fred decided he wanted to stop playing the game and just wanted to watch.

'I told him the best place to watch is from where the umpire stands.'

Mr Cassidy added: 'He umpires with a smile on his face, just like he played.'