Clifford Oldroyd was Scholes Cricket Club’s oldest former player and supporter.

The ex textiles worker, who has died aged 104, lived his whole life in the Holme Valley village – and at the same house in Paris (an area near to Chapelgate and the cricket field) for the past 92 years.

Clifford was born in Scholes on May 4, 1913, and lived at 21 Chapelgate – right next to the cricket field – with his family until he was 12.

While the club had no junior teams in those days, he spent his early summers playing and watching cricket at Chapelgate and quickly grew to love the game and the club.

The wicket, in the 1920s and 30s, was cut with the help of Dobbin, a horse owned by the Ellis family – four large leather shoes being kept at the club to cover the horse’s hooves so minimal damage was done during mowing and rolling of the square.

Clifford was playing in the first team at Scholes in his teens and had several periods doing groundsman duties – sharing one spell with Stanley Mellor, when their fee for the whole season was £2 10s (£2.50p). He also worked on the ground alongside Gordon Ellis.

Clifford Oldroyd, who has died aged 104, is pictured with the Scholes Cricket Club team on his 100th birthday

As a 16-year-old, Clifford and a friend walked around the village knocking on doors asking for contributions to keep the club going - every penny was gratefully received.

Back then, half a crown (12.5p in today’s money) would buy you a vice-presidency for the season - that was a third of the first weekly wage Clifford earned as a 14-year-old.

Clifford followed his father into textiles and worked at Graham & Potts at New Mill, earning 7s 6d for his first wage (that’s around 37p).

He stayed with Graham & Potts for 24 years, working at John Shaw’s Munitions during the Second World War and he finished his working life at Copley Marshall, again in New Mill.

At cricket, he developed into a very useful left-handed batter and, after his playing days were over, he was a keen supporter – rarely missing a game – and also served as scorer for a long number of seasons.

He became a great friend to generations of players at the club – including a list of overseas Test players in more recent decades – and was honoured by becoming the club’s first ever Life Vice President.

Glenn Howard with Clifford Oldroyd (right), Scholes Cricket Club oldest former player and supporter who has died aged 104

Clifford put the certificate on his mantelpiece alongside a picture of himself with the Bryom Shield following Scholes’ first ever Drakes Huddersfield League title success in 2000.

He’d been there in 1996 when Scholes won the Sykes Cup for the first time, but he wasn’t well enough to travel to Elland for last summer’s success against Broad Oak.

Scholes chairman Mel Booth said: “Clifford would always stop off in the cricket field on his regular walks around the valley and it’s a great sense of comfort that he was able – with the help of close friends Frankie and June Trott - to live in the village, in his own house, right until the very last, because he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“He genuinely was Mr Scholes, a friend to all who knew him, loved and respected and, most importantly, a true gentleman.”