'I worked with Dickie Bird and this is why he was more than just a sporting icon, he was a decent person'
Sport and cricket may have been what made Dickie Bird famous, but it was his charm that will ensure he’s unforgettable.
I can’t pretend that I was close to Dickie, in fact, if he were still around and saw me I’m sure he’d shake my hand and ask me nice questions all while having completely forgotten my name.
But it’s that niceness that sticks out when I reflect on working with him - with a globe-trotting career spanning decades, the Barnsley umpire crossed paths with countless people and would undoubtedly forget faces or names, but nevertheless smiled and paid attention to everyone who spoke to him.
Despite being entertained by Royalty and having so many titles it made his name a bit of a mouthful - which in total was Harold Dennis Bird MBE OBE - he was still one of the most down-to-earth people you’d ever come across.
Having been a reporter professionally for close to three years now, and spending most of that time in Barnsley, it was inevitable that at some point I’d end up working with him.
When that first meeting did come, after I helped organise a surprise meeting between himself and an Australian superfan visiting Barnsley to see his statue, we went for a walk through the town to a local cafe.
On the way he was approached by a number of people asking for photos or simply wanting to shake his hand, and for each and every one he stopped and took part in a little chat.
That was his life, and even earlier this year visitors to the town would bump into him while he was out running errands, and anyone who asked would be sure to get his full attention.
In fact, Barnsley was more than just the international star’s home town, as he maintained a deep love and loyalty to the area right up until his death.
He chose to spend his final years there, helped present awards to locals and supported a number of charities, including pledging £100,000 to Barnsley Hospital’s Tiny Hearts Appeal.
Another stand out memory of mine is at one such award night, where despite what I had written down Dickie chose he would go up and hand over a sporting award.
Stephanie Peacock, MP for Barnsley South, simply said to me ‘it’s Dickie’, and headed up the steps to help him hand over the trophy.
In an impressive 92 years, he took his humble South Yorkshire upbringing and became an international star, but through it all never forgot his roots.
If I’m being honest, I never grew up watching cricket, and even if I had the legendary parts of Dickie’s career were probably just before my time.
I didn’t have any excitement or starstruck moment, and yet he still made an impression that is bound to stick with me.
His life was more than just his sporting legacy, he was a truly decent person that anyone could respect and admire.