At 84, I’m feeling better than ever
DICKIE BIRD Cricket’s favourite umpire tells CHRISTINE FIELDHOUSE about his recovery from a stroke, keeping fit and his sadness at missing out on having a family
IT’S MORE than two decades since Harold “Dickie” Bird stood in his 66th and final Test match between England and India in 1996 but Britain’s best-loved umpire, now approaching his 85th birthday, is still one of the most recognisable faces in cricket.
And although the proud Yorkshireman – born Harold Dennis Bird and given his nickname as a schoolboy – has suffered a number of setbacks to his health in the past few years, including a serious stroke and a heart problem, he is as active and busy as ever.
Barnsley-born Dickie, who was awarded the MBE in 1986 and received an OBE in 2012, puts his ability to bounce back from illness down to his healthy lifestyle and keeping himself fit.
“I’ve always enjoyed exercising,” he says. “I feel so good afterwards. Even now I do 40 minutes of exercise every other day. I do some stretches and running on the spot. And I love walking. It’s good to get out in the fresh air.”
The only son of a miner, he played cricket and football at school and was signed to Barnsley Football Club until a knee injury age 16 stopped him in his tracks. Opting to focus on cricket because he thought it would give him a longer career, Dickie went on to play for Yorkshire and Leicestershire between 1956 and 1964, before making his Test umpiring debut in 1973, overseeing England’s clash with New Zealand at Headingley.
“I’ve stayed the same weight I was when I was playing – I’m 11st 6lb, which is just right for my height of 5ft 10in,” he says proudly. “I have a healthy diet. My breakfast is raw oats with raisins and blueberries and I eat plenty of fish. I especially like mackerel and salmon. I’m almost teetotal. I have a glass of red wine now and then if I go out for a meal but otherwise I don’t drink.”
Yet despite his healthy lifestyle, Dickie suffered a stroke in the early hours one morning in 2009. He managed to phone 999 but was unable to make himself understood to the operator. Luckily for Dickie the ambulance service managed to trace the call and he was taken to Barnsley Hospital, where he spent a month recovering.
STROKES occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. There are few warning signs, although high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and dizziness can be indicators.
“I was in a right state,” recalls Dickie, who also umpired 92 one-day internationals and three World Cup finals.
“The stroke had affected my left arm and my left side. I lost my voice and I couldn’t swallow. Yet I was determined to fight it and I got out of bed, even when I shouldn’t have done. I’d advise anyone who has a stroke to get on their feet as quickly as possible and to fight it with all they have. I know it isn’t easy.”
One third of stroke survivors are affected by aphasia, a condition that causes difficulty understanding and using language. In Dickie’s case, he was lucky to regain his speech during the four weeks he was in hospital and the use of his left side within two months.
Yet despite his recovery, the stroke left its mark, with him becoming more emotional. “I would cry but then I said, ‘I’m not going to get depressed’,” he explains. “I could see it would be easy to stay in the house and watch television in your dressing gown all day but I made myself go out.
“At first it wasn’t easy and I would walk for about 15 minutes near my home. Then I started going a bit further and then a few more miles and back. If you don’t get out you can become very low.”
But Dickie, who went on to be appointed president of his beloved Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2014 for two years, still had one more battle to face. “I kept blacking out and on one occasion, I came round in an ambulance,” he says.
“I’d been in a restaurant in Barnsley for lunch and I’d blacked out and a nurse in the restaurant had called 999.”
After hospital tests, it was revealed that Dickie was suffering from an irregular heartbeat and he was fitted with a pacemaker which was replaced last week. At the same time, he was ordered to cut his caffeine intake.
“I’d been having around 10 cups of tea a day along with coffee too,” he says. “I was told caffeine can increase the heartbeat. No wonder I had an irregular heartbeat. Since then I’ve had decaffeinated tea and coffee and I’ve been in good health. Now my one weakness is chocolate. I still have a sweet tooth.”
As grateful as Dickie was for his recovery, his hospital stays made him appreciate the plight of others who were not so fortunate. He had already established the Dickie Bird Foundation, which helps to buy sports gear for underprivileged youngsters, but when he saw the children who had undergone heart surgery he was determined to help them too. First he donated £30,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and then £70,000 to the Tiny Hearts Appeal at Barnsley Hospital which is aiming to raise £1million for a new neonatal unit.
In his latest venture he is the new ambassador of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, a charity which supports those born with congenital heart defects.
PATIENTS from all areas of Yorkshire, Humberside and North Lincolnshire are treated at the Congenital Heart Unit at Leeds General Infirmary where more than 400 children have open-heart surgery each year.
“When I saw the children in hospital in Leeds, I broke down in tears,” admits Dickie. “They were so little. There was one baby boy who was only 12 weeks old and he’d already had heart surgery.
“I heard that if these babies can get over their operations, they can live to an old age. I was determined to help them and whatever money I have I will give so that these children have a chance at life.”
His one regret is that he missed out on having a family. “I never had children of my own,” he admits. “I never married because I lived out of a suitcase for most of my career and I didn’t think it would be fair on a wife. I think I would have been a good father and now, seeing these children smile and laugh gives me so much pleasure.
“I’ve had a tremendous life and now I’d like to help others who aren’t as lucky as me.”
For information on the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and fundraising events being planned (including the Kapow! obstacle course in June, a superhero walk in September and an anniversary ball in October) visit chsf.org.uk
‘I lost my voice and I couldn’t swallow’