Popular cricket personality Peter Birbeck, known to hundreds of the sport’s followers as the ‘tie man’, has died in a Farsley care home aged 79.

A keen cricket supporter at league and county level, he always had a supply of ties with him at matches which he was keen to sell to anyone who was interested.

Lifelong friend Eric Vevers said: “He used to get his ties from a friend who manufactured them in Macclesfield. It wasn’t a commercial operation, he was just helping a friend to extend his market.

“A lot of people, who didn’t know his name, knew him as the tie man and he enjoyed talking to people he had never met before.

“Cricket was his first love, with Leeds Rhinos second and Leeds United third.

“He was a Yorkshire member for many years and enjoyed watching league cricket, supporting Farsley where he lived. He also went to Pudsey St Lawrence, Pudsey Congs and occasionally East Bierley.

“He also liked to pick out a match farther afield and would go into the Lancashire League for a Sunday match or watch minor counties cricket. He will be sadly missed.”

In his younger days, Birbeck played football for Pudsey Town and friendly cricket for Leeds Allerton and the Jesters.

For many years he worked in textiles for the Bradford firm Downs Coulter, travelling extensively as a representative. He leaves wife Jeanne and son Simon – his daughter Joanna died of cystic fibrosis aged 32.

Birbeck’s funeral will be held at Rawdon Crematorium next Tuesday at 11.40am.