Death of Arnold Pope, umpire for 40 years

THE Central Lancashire League is mourning the death in his early 80s of Arnold Pope.

Mr Pope, who hailed from Whitefield, first came to the attention of CLL spectators when he was a pace bowler for Middleton Cricket Club about 60 years ago.

On his retirement from the game, he joined the CLL’s umpires’ list and went on to complete a lifetime’s service to the league as an official.

Mr Pope was an umpire for 40 years, the vast majority of them in first-team games.

It was only in the last couple of years that he officiated in second-team matches.

Mr Pope was the CLL Umpires’ Association chairman for 20 years, relinquishing that position in 1999, and was the association’s president at the time of his death.

His funeral will be held at Stand Church tomorrow (12.30pm).