Gordon Hinchliffe was the highly-respected former chairman of the Huddersfield Central Cricket League.
Mr Hinchliffe, who has died aged 87, made a massive contribution to the sport in this area and in South Yorkshire.
He was associated for more than 60 years with Kexborough Cricket Club, who were formerly members of the Central League and Drakes Huddersfield League.
He was chairman of the Huddersfield Central League for decades and, in his first year of retirement, wrote the 75th anniversary history of the league – 75 Not Out – with the help of his many friends in the game, countless hours of research in Huddersfield Library and the typing of his wife, Florence.
Mr Hinchliffe was born in Barugh Green near Barnsley in 1929 and attended Barnsley Grammar School and Westminster College, in London, where he met Florence.
After National Service in the RAF in the late 1940s he started teaching at John Street Primary School in Wombwell and then taught history at Rawmarsh Secondary Modern and Darton High School, from where he retired.
While teaching, he managed and coached both the Barnsley Schools’ football team and cricket team (which in those days were just at Under 15 level).
Among the cricketers he tutored were future Test and County players Martyn Moxon, Darren Gough and Ian Swallow, who spent many successful years with Meltham.
Future professional footballers he coached included Ian Butler, Kenny Knighton and Alan Ogley.
Mr Hinchliffe excelled at both cricket – as an opening batsman and wicketkeeper – and football in his youth.
In fact, he had the chance to sign professional forms with West Bromwich Albion as a speedy right winger, but turned them down because the pay in teaching was better.
When watching football in later life he always bemoaned the fact that wingmen rarely got to the goalline and crossed for the forwards – something which had been his forte.
In cricket, he literally was Mr Kexborough.
Over his 60 years with the club, who are now in the South Yorkshire League, he was player, secretary, chairman, chief fundraiser and, more recently, president.
He leaves his wife of 61 years, two sons, Neil and David, four grandchildren and one great grandson.
The funeral will be on Friday, March 24 at Barnsley Crematorium 12.50pm and then on to Kexborough Social Club.
