George Downs (umpire)

Downs was born and died in North Adelaide, where he lived all his life. He went to school there at Whinham College.{{cite journal |title=Mr. G. E. Downs |journal=Chronicle |date=16 April 1936 |page=16 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92340953 }} He worked as a carpenter and undertaker.

Downs played senior Adelaide cricket before becoming an umpire. He umpired 19 first-class matches between 1892 and 1903.{{cite web |title=George Downs as Umpire in First-Class Matches |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/36/36170/Umpire_in_First-Class_Matches.html |website=CricketArchive |access-date=18 May 2021}} His only Test was at the Adelaide Oval in March 1892, when W. G. Grace captained England to an innings victory over Australia.{{cite web |title=3rd Test, Adelaide, Mar 24 - 28 1892, England tour of Australia|url= https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-lord-sheffield-s-xi-tour-of-australia-1891-92-61730/australia-vs-england-3rd-test-62432/full-scorecard|website=Cricinfo|access-date=18 May 2021}}

Downs was also prominent in the early days of Australian rules football in Adelaide. He was one of the founders in 1874 of the Victorians team of North Adelaide, which competed in the SAFA. He captained them for eight seasons before the club folded at the end of the 1884 season.{{cite journal |title=Football as Played 53 Years Ago |journal=News |date=31 July 1930 |page=12 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130257104}} They won the premiership under his captaincy in 1877.{{cite journal |last=Reeves|first=T. A.|title=Football Old and New |journal=Daily Herald |date=30 April 1910 |page=7 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103877189}} He captained the Victorians against a team from Melbourne in 1877, in South Australia's first interstate football match.{{cite journal |title=First Interstate Football Captain |journal=News |date=3 April 1936 |page=6|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129269257}} Two days later he played for a combined South Australian team against Victoria.

He married Fanny Howard in North Adelaide in November 1881.{{cite journal |title=Marriages |journal=South Australian Register |date=5 December 1881 |page=4 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47090356}} He died at home in April 1936, aged 79. Fanny and two sons and two daughters survived him; one son predeceased him.{{cite journal |title=Deaths |journal=News |date=3 April 1936 |page=3 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129269156}} Fanny died in 1954, aged 96.{{cite journal |title=Deaths |journal=Chronicle |date=26 August 1954 |page=42 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93915808}}

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Category:1856 births

Category:1936 deaths

Category:Sportspeople from Adelaide

Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia

Category:Australian Test cricket umpires

Category:19th-century Australian sportsmen

Category:Colony of South Australia people

Category:Sportspeople from South Australia

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