On Sunday 4th May, David Bond refereed his final England Korfball League match—the semi-final between Trojans Korfball Club and Bristol Thunder Korfball Club. After over 40 years of officiating top-level korfball in England (and formerly Great Britain), David has decided to retire. England Korfball would like to express its deepest gratitude for his immense contribution to refereeing and referee development.

Although David intended to focus on supporting and mentoring referees for the last decade, he continued officiating top-level matches due to a shortage of referees. His willingness to continue during this time has been invaluable, and we are incredibly appreciative of his dedication.

David began his korfball career at the age of 14 before captaining the Great Britain Under-21 team, later going on to coach the GB Under-21s squad. After refereeing domestically for several years, he was appointed to the International Korfball Federation Referee list in 1991, where he enjoyed a distinguished 13-year career before retiring from IKF duty in 2004. During his time on the IKF list, he officiated numerous high-profile competitions, including multiple ‘Interland’ matches between the Netherlands and Belgium, the 1996 European Cup Final between Oost Arnhem (Netherlands) and Catba (Belgium), and the 1998 IKF U23 World Championship. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to international refereeing, he was awarded the IKF Pin of Merit in October 2005.

Beyond officiating, David has played a crucial role in developing referees over several decades. He has assessed or provided feedback to most top-level referees in England and guided countless referees in the London and Kent areas. For his contributions as a player, coach, referee, and administrator, he received the Marion Atkinson Award for Services to Korfball in 2011. David will continue to support England Korfball as a referee in the London area and as a referee assessor and mentor.

At the conclusion of the Trojans vs. Bristol Thunder match, David was publicly thanked by Sam Wells (EK Board Member) on behalf of England Korfball. He received warm applause from players, officials, and spectators, a fitting tribute to his decades of dedication and service.

England Korfball extends its heartfelt thanks to David for his invaluable contribution to the sport.