| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Referee |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1946-12-01)December 1, 1946 (age 79) Hamilton, Ontario |
| Career information | |
| College | McMaster University |
| Career history | |
Official | |
| 1979–2008 | CFLOfficial |
Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2013) | |
John "Jake" Ireland (born December 1, 1946[1]) is a formerreferee in theCanadian Football League, who wore uniform number 62, and current lead replay official for the league'sinstant replay command centre.
Ireland, fromTownsend, Ontario,[2] attendedBurlington Central High School[3] from 1960 to 1965. Ireland's father, Garnet Ireland, as well as his three brothers and a sister, also attended BCHS. While at Central, Ireland participated in basketball, cross-country running, and curling. He was also an active member of Student’s Council, and was proud to win a Mathematics Award in 1964.
While attendingMcMaster University, Ireland was contacted by a high school friend to begin officiating flag football for the newly created Burlington Minor Football Association. Soon after, Ireland was contacted to begin officiating for the Lakeshore Football Association, including refereeing games for the Burlington Braves Club. It was during a Braves game that Ireland was recruited by theCanadian Football League to begin his career with the CFL as a referee, a career that would find him participating in 555 games and refereeing in 15Grey Cup games.[2][4]
Although he retired from his full-time career with Stelco Inc. after 31 years, Ireland continued as an active CFL referee until the conclusion of the2008 CFL season, his 30th. His final on-field game was the96th Grey Cup.[5][6]
On June 26, 2009, the CFL announced that Ireland is the lead replay official for the new Replay Command Centre that decides allinstant replay decisions starting in the2009 CFL season.[7]
On February 21, 2013 theCanadian Football Hall of Fame announced that Ireland would be inducted into the Hall in September at a ceremony in Edmonton.