Wyncote Ramblers Cricket Club

Mike was a stylish wicket keeper, resolutely correct batsman and occasional medium pace bowler, who made his debut for Alder CC, then known as Liverpool Nalgo CC, on World Cup Final Day in July 1966. This marked the start of in excess of fifty years commitment to the club, during which he served as Welfare Officer, Junior Coordinator, Groundsman, Tour Organiser, Umpire and for more than 40 of those years, Fixture Secretary.

Mike was also quite literally a giant of local junior cricket who, during several decades, ensured that the Merseyside Youth Cricket annual fixture programme, often covering a myriad of different age groups, ran with Swiss watch-like efficiency.

Above all though, Mike was an absolute gentleman, who will be remembered for his generosity of spirit, gentle humour, kindness, human decency and modesty. Each of these qualities made him the perfect role model for the countless young cricketers he both coached and mentored.

There was of course a great deal more to Mike’s life beyond his extraordinary selfless commitment to club cricket. He was a more than useful amateur footballer and, in late middle age, successfully completed a programme of post-graduate study at Liverpool University Institute of Irish Studies, which lead to him developing an authoritative insight into Irish history, politics and culture.

Mike spent most of his working life as a teacher. On reaching retirement age he returned to school as a voluntary classroom assistant working to improve the reading skills of his charges. This was entirely in keeping with the personal ideology of a man who throughout his life had always considered the needs of others more important than those of himself.

On 10th November cricket on Merseyside lost a loyal friend, hardworking advocate and cricketing legend. The World will be a poorer place in the absence of such a deeply principled human being of impeccable calibre.

Sleep well, Mike.