THE members of Hartshead Moor are still coming to terms with the sudden death of their popular cricket chairman Tony Dickinson.

The 46-year-old was a larger-than-life character whose jovial nature made him a hugely popular figure at Highmoor.

Tony played a key role in the club’s player recruitment and his work was rewarded last season when Hartshead Moor won the Division Two title.

He also gave support and encouragement to the club’s junior section and women’s team, so he is going to be sorely missed.

Club chairman Phil Gooder said: “We were all deeply saddened and shocked by the news that Tony had died. He was such a popular figure and was so often the life and soul of the party.

“We had planned a club get together for Saturday night and despite the devastating news we received in the morning, we went ahead and decided to raise a glass in memory of Tony. It is what he would have wanted.

“Now our aim is to build on last season’s promotion and reward Tony’s work in recruiting the team by punching our weight in Division One.”