Wayne Steele #38 is a proud graduate of Notre Dame Regional Secondary School where he ran track, excelled at basketball, and as a member of the football team was coached by Hall of Famers Cal Murphy and Frank Smith. He also boxed and played community baseball, and football with the Marpole Colts and the Junior Big 4 CYO Red Raiders.
Wayne is recognized as one of the premier football officials in British Columbia and across the country. Wayne Steele has covered games at the minor, high school and university levels (both UBC and SFU) often as the head referee since he started officiating in 1968. Wayne has officiated football in almost every major Canadian city and in almost every championship final.
He was recruited by former teammate and opponent Max Hatch.
Wayne was an elementary school teacher and vice-principal for 35 years with the Vancouver School Board; this afforded him the flexibility to officiate games after school on Fridays and Saturdays.
Wayne’s career notables include being part of the first fully-integrated crew from across Canada to officiate the College Bowl (now the Vanier Cup), having been the head referee for the annual Archbishops’ Trophy between Vancouver College and Notre Dame more than 25 times, officiating the Shrum Bowl 5 times in succession, being the head instructor for officials at Top-Flight Flag Football League clinics, being the official CFL communications coordinator for Empire Stadium and BC Place for over 30 years. Wayne has appeared in movies as an official and was the head referee for the first-ever televised Lingerie Football League game in B.C.
In 1988 Wayne was the head official for a Meraloma Football Alumni team as they toured England, Wales and Scotland. As the game was still new to the United Kingdom, Wayne assisted the other game officials and held clinics for them.
Wayne has given back to the officiating fraternity by teaching new officials. He has served on the BC Football Officials Association’s (BCFOA) board of directors as the Director of Member Services (1970-1974) as well as handled communications with the National Officials Association.
Inducted into the BC Football Hall of Fame in 2018.