Ian Metcalfe & Gerald Moore

The new season brings with it a sense of hope and a fresh start full of promise.

This year such expectations have been dampened with the sudden passing of two of our best supporters.

Ian Metcalfe was known to all as the father of Matt and Andrew but his involvement with the Club was far more that just that. Initially he helped develop the junior section (along with his mates Les & Peter) into such a strong position from which the Club has never looked back, and served as Chairman between 1999-2001.

His off-field support was considerable, always attending fundraisers, especially the annual dinner where he was always amongst the last to leave. His name was first there on the list of ball sponsors or any other of our money-making schemes, and was a key figure in organising our car-boot sales at the club.

A good club man, good fun, and there to help when needed. His passing was a great shock and our thoughts go to Christine, Matt and Andrew.

Gerald Moore (known as “ G “) was the man many know as the chap who sat on the tractor, cutting the outfield, especially on the rugby field.

Although he didn’t play cricket at Bury he did once come on Tour and started off with 4 ducks in a row!! You have to be a good player to do that. At Colwyn Bay he then went missing and a search party found him in an amusement arcade sat on a machine pretending to be a fighter pilot shooting down Stukas.

G was always helpful to the Cricket section with his engineering skills, keeping old machines going so we could maintain the ground in good condition.

We owe him a lot and are grateful for his efforts. His sudden passing on the very ground he cared for was especially sad but somehow appropriate.

Both with be missed by all.

MKB