A HIGHLY-RESPECTED ‘umpiring legend’ and a cricketing aficionado, Bill Cook, has died. He was 81.

Bill was a familiar figure in the white coat on cricket pitches across Cumbria for more than 40 years.

An official with the North Lancashire and Cumbria League Umpires Association – where his knowledge and enthusiasm for the game saw him lead numerous seminars for his colleagues – he was renowned as a stickler for the rules.

Fellow umpire, and NLCLUA official, Alan Regan remembered a man who wanted the game played in the right way, and said of his colleague: “He had standards that he insisted on maintaining.

“He was a guy of principle – he had his ideas of how things should be done and he wanted to maintain the highest standards inherent within the game.

“He had been in cricket for as long as I can remember. He took a lot of exams to be the umpire instructor and he would run sessions every year for us to review the laws of the game.”

Bill attended one of those sessions earlier this year, despite his ongoing battle with cancer, which he had fought bravely for several years.

Outside of cricket, he worked in Vickers shipyard training apprentice draughtsmen, as well as serving in the Merchant Navy.

Within the game, he often helped out at Sedbergh School, umpiring matches there – where ‘he relished’ being involved, said Regan – but it was in the North Lancs League where he was best known.

Long-serving umpire and league official Terry Atkinson said: “I’ve known Bill a long time – he has been a good umpire in his time.

“He’s been a very good friend of mine – when I was secretary and treasurer of the umpires association, he did the auditing of the books and was a great help for me then.

“He was our instructor for umpires when we had seminars. He went through the rules with us, any new ones, and he was a very good instructor.

“He was into his cricket for all his years. I’ve been his friend for a lot of years and he will be missed.”

Bill’s dedicated service as an umpire saw he made a life member of the ECB Association of Cricket Officials and the NLCLUA, who will hold a minute’s silence in his honour at their meeting at Millom Cricket Club this Saturday.

Tributes have also been paid on Twitter, with Barrow Cricket Club, where he was a member, saying: “Just heard of the sad passing of local umpiring legend and club member Bill Cook. True gentleman and one of cricket’s good guys. RIP Bill.”

Hawcoat Park CC said: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of former umpire Bill Cook. He will be missed by everyone at Hawcoat Park and the cricketing community.”

Bill leaves his widow Edith and sons Stephen and Michael, as well as grand-children and great-grandson Ollie.

A funeral service will he held at Thorncliffe Crematorium on Friday, at 10.45am.