Sir Geoffrey Boycott gave a touching eulogy at the funeral of Dickie Bird, praising his fellow Yorkshireman as “the best umpire in the world”.
Bird died last month at the age of 92 and his life was celebrated on Sunday in a service at St Mary’s Church in his hometown of Barnsley.
The Yorkshire cricket family turned out in force to pay their respects to one of the sport’s most beloved figures, with former England captain Michael Vaughan joining the fellow White Rose favourites Martyn Moxon, David Byas, Geoff Cope and Gavin Hamilton in the pews.
Boycott, 84, shared speaking duties with Yorkshire chair Colin Graves, with the pair taking turns to pay affectionate tribute to their old friend, who who was born Harold Dennis Bird but became known universally by his nickname.
Boycott, who knew Bird for almost 70 years from the age of 15, drew a handful of laughs from the congregation as he shared stories from their long association.
Describing him as “comic and lovable” and “daft as a brush”, Boycott closed by declaring: “He became the most famous and well-known umpire in the world, but most importantly he was the best umpire in the world.
“Harold Dennis Bird was a one-off and very, very special. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Asked after the service if there would ever be another like Dickie Bird, an emotional Boycott said: “You never know, but I won’t be here to see it.”
Bird’s coffin, which entered the church to the music of Edward Elgar and left to the strains of My Way by Frank Sinatra, was topped by his trademark white flat cap and decked out in a floral cricketing tribute of a bat and ball, as well as flags representing the sport’s Test-playing nations.
Bird, who retired from playing at 32 and went on to stand in a then record 66 Test matches as well as 69 ODIs and three World Cup finals, was renowned for his ability to build positive relationships with players.
Renowned as an instinctive ‘not outer’, his distinctive mannerisms and eccentric charm saw him become a celebrity in his own right and his autobiography sold in excess of one million copies.
Vaughan, another Yorkshire favourite who knew him well, told the PA news agency: “He was such a great character. He was married to cricket and his home was Headingley.
“We’ll give him a great send-off. He brought so much joy to so many people around the world. Not just in Yorkshire but all round the globe, they’ll be raising a toast.
“I used to love him because he kept his finger down. There’ll be a few batters today saying ‘Thanks Dickie’ and a few bowlers saying ‘You should have given us a few more’, but he will be greatly missed.”
The funeral procession stopped briefly at the Dickie Bird statue in the centre of Barnsley before continuing on the short journey to St Mary’s.
The service, which was relayed on speakers to mourners outside, contained readings by Yorkshire club chaplain Chris Edmondson and a recording of ‘A Poem About Dickie Bird’, a verse of homage by local writer Ian McMillan.
Donations will be shared between the Dickie Bird Foundation, the HOPE South Yorkshire charity and the special baby care unit at Barnsley Hospital.
“Dickie was one of the family. He will be missed greatly but never forgotten,” Graves said. “A national and a Yorkshire treasure. What you saw is what you got.”
PA
