ATHERTON Cricket Club are mourning the death of their president and former chairman Geoff Swift.

He died last Saturday aged 85 and leaves a wife, Jean, and two children, Mark and Ann.

Mr Swift began his association with the club when he moved to Atherton in 1972 to take up the headship of St John’s School at Mosley Common.

He played for the club’s second team and was the manager of their under-18s side for many years.

In 1976 he was appointed club chairman, a position he held for 18 years before becoming club president in 2011.

A member of Lancashire County Cricket Club until recently and a season ticket holder at his beloved Bolton Wanderers for more than 45 years, Mr Swift was also a lay reader at St Phillip’s Church in Atherton.

John Charlson, who has been secretary of Atherton CC for 60 years, said: “Geoff was a very close friend and we worked together closely in the running of Atherton Cricket Club to which he was devoted.

“He joined as a result of meeting our then first-team captain Sean Flemming's brother, who was also a headmaster of a primary school.

“They got talking about cricket and Sean’s brother said 'why don’t you come down to Atherton' and the rest is history.

“Over the years Geoff has been hard-working and supported the club.

“It has been a lifelong association almost and he will be very much missed.

“I will certainly miss him. We travelled together watching Bolton Wanderers and met up regularly at the club and at church coffee mornings.”

The funeral will take place at Atherton Parish Church on Friday, August 31 at 12.45pm.