A valued member of the Basketball fraternity Bill Goodman OAM passed away peacefully on Saturday the 15th April hanging up his whistle for the final time.
Bill started his referee’s career at Manly Warringah Basketball Association in 1953, where he is a Life Member, and in the early days of the club he was a player for the Collaroy Surf Life Saving basketball team and referee.
Bill’s association with the NSW Basketball Referees commenced in 1965 when he represented NSW at the Australian Open Women’s championships in Melbourne, and was rated as the 6th highest ranking official in New South Wales. Bill followed this by refereeing at the Australian Under 18 Men’s Championships in 1966 and 1967 in Wollongong and Melbourne. In 1968 Bill officiated at the Under 18 Women’s Australian Championships’ in Melbourne and then in 1969 at the Australian Under 16 Men’s championships in Perth.
In 1967 when Bill took the reigns as Treasurer of the NSW Basketball Referees Association a position that he has held until his death, 50 years of dedication. The South Eastern League was continuing to grow in 1970 and Bill was one of the 11 referees on the panel in NSW to control these games. In 1977 Bill was awarded Life Membership of the NSW Basketball Referees Association.
Bill started to blow the whistle at Northern Suburbs Basketball Association in 1980, and he could still be found at Rooftop officiating every Friday and Monday night until his retirement in 2016. The honour is one of many for Bill, including being a Hall of Fame member at NSBA, as well as his Life Membership of Manly Warringah Basketball Association. Northern Suburbs BA has dedicated an annual award in Bill’s honour, known as the Bill Goodman Award, which each year recognises a referee for outstanding contribution to local competitions.
It was in 1995 that William (Bill) James Goodman was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia In recognition of service to surf lifesaving and to the sport of basketball.
Bill was recognized for his amazing dedication to the Basketball and Surf Life Saving at the 2013 NSW Sports Federation Awards with the Distinguished Long Service Award, amongst other legends from all sports.
Basketball NSW honoured Bill with Life Membership in 2016 with Bill having been put forward by both the Northern Suburbs and Manly Warringah Association’s and Bill was only just presented with his medal and a framed award from the Referees on the 4th April at the NSW Convention and Annual General Meeting.Bill’s funeral will take place at St Faiths Anglican Church, 5-9 Clarke Street, NARRABEEN NSW 2101 on
Bill’s funeral will take place at St Faiths Anglican Church, 5-9 Clarke Street, NARRABEEN NSW 2101 on Monday 24th April at 1:30pm followed by a gathering of family and friends at the Collaroy Surf Lifesaving Club, Pittwater Road, COLLAROY NSW 2097.
On behalf of the Basketball NSW Board all Referees, members and Staff we would like to pass on our condolences to Bill’s family as well as the many friends and colleagues that have known him over the many years he has been participating.