Man behind the mic loses cancer fight

POPULAR . . . Tom Hill

A MUCH-LOVED teacher and volunteer has died following a short battle with cancer.

Tom Hill, a member of the Royal Oldham Hospital’s Radio Cavell football commentary team for over 40 years, made his mark in the town as a sport lover who dedicated his time to educating young people about the thing he loved most.

A PE teacher and deputy head at Hathershaw School, Tom (76), of Shaw, lived for football and rugby, spending his weekends relaying the events of Latics matches to hospital patients across the airwaves.

He was chairman of Oldham School’s Football, a member of the Federation of Oldham Schools Sports Associations (FOSSA), and one of the managers of Oldham’s successful “It’s a Knockout” team.

He died on February 1 at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice.

Tom’s funeral will take place on Tuesday at Oldham Crematorium, Hollinwood, at 11.30am. The family request no flowers and ask instead for donations to Dr Kershaw’s via Hedley Jackson Funeral Directors.