Sports lover George had a 60-year attachment to club
TRIBUTES have been paid to a sports fanatic who had a successful football career and was honoured with lifetime membership for services to a cricket club.
George Holt, of Edward Court, Church, died on Friday, August 25 at Royal Blackburn Hospital. He was 94.
A talented footballer, he played as a defender in the early war years, starring for Accrington Stanley, Burnley and Great Harwood before a broken leg ended his career. In his summers he turned out for local cricket sides, including Ewbank’s works team.
An all-rounder both on and off the cricket field, he got involved with Enfield Cricket Club after two of his sons won spots in the first XI, developing a close family association with the club which has lasted almost 60 years.
A fit and active man right into old age, George played crown green bowls for Mercer Park and also Gatty Park Veterans - even turning out for them this year well into his tenth decade.
After first getting involved in around 1959, George became a hugely well known face at Enfield CC, particularly in the club’s golden period between the 1960s and 1980s, serving in many capacities as treasurer, and for many years as league representative, the role he enjoyed most.
An engineer who worked for the Bristol Aircraft Corp. in Claytonle-Moors and at Allspeeds, no job was too small for him despite being on the committee and he also helped out the groundsman, acted as team manager and even shopped for tearoom supplies.
His son, also George, of New Lane, Oswaldtwistle, broke into the first team as a wicket keeper batsman to be followed by his brother Peter, a bowler of some repute.
George, 71, said: “When I started playing he got involved with Enfield and then my younger brother started playing too. Basically he got on the committee and anything that wanted doing he would lend a hand - putting all the seating away or repainting for the start of the following season.
“I spoke to the vice chairman Robin Bracewell and he remembered how they were talking about the scorebox looking a bit tired one time and the next minute he has got a ladder out and was brushing it down ready for painting!
“He loved Enfield Cricket Club. There’s not many that have had life membership. There’s about six in the club. You have to have been something a little bit special to earn it. It’s something that’s really earned through hard work.”
George said that during their halcyon days Enfield attracted much bigger crowds than nowadays - especially for a big cup semi final or final - and remembered how the whole family became a permanent fixture at the Dill Hall Lane club.
He added: “My mother was in the tea room and my wife was in the tea room. That’s the way it was. It was certainly a very close family. My mother died 12 months ago almost to the day.
“They did virtually everything together, certainly up at Enfield when they were going. Even when he retired from work he couldn’t stand still.”
Robin Bracewell, vice chairman of Enfield CC, said it was becoming more and more difficult to replace loyal servants such as George.
He added: “Enfield have lost a very close friend.”
Beloved husband of the late Irene, George was dearly loved father of George, Derek, Pauline and Peter, a father-in-law and grandad, greatgrandad and great, great-grandad.
See obituary on p14.