Harold "Dickie" Bird MBE

Born in Barnsley in 1933, the son of a miner.
When Dickie Bird tried to get his first match with Barnsley Cricket Club, he was just 15 years old. But the batsman in the nets took one look at the skinny teenager and sent him on his way,

Dickie Bird was nearly lost to cricket forever. Fortunately, a kindly man met him the weeping youngster on his way back to the bus stop and took pity on him --and spent the rest of the evening bowling to him in the nets.

He did play for Barnsley and later -- though intermittently -- for his beloved Yorkshire. Fated to be the 12th man, however, he left for Leicestershire from where, though he played regularly, he retired and chose to go into umpiring. The rest, as they say is history; but it is an interesting history of a miner's son who became a worldwide celebrity and chose to tell his millions of adoring fans the whole tale.

Growing up in Barnsley, becoming a professional cricketer, then training as an umpire -- all the steps along the way are recorded in My Autobiography.
The first umpire to become a celebrity and all-round "character".

He umpired first class cricket for thirty years and achieved every honour it is possible to achieve. In 1996 he was voted Yorkshireman of the Year. A qualified MCC advanced cricket coach, Dickie is an honorary member of the MCC,
Yorkshire CCC and Leicester CCC.

He was awarded the MBE in 1986
.
He has a great passion for the game and when he retired from International cricket in 1996, he had stood at over 66 Test Matches, three World Cup Finals and 150 Internationals matches.

Read the full story in Dickie Bird - My Autobiography
and
Dickie Bird - White Caps and Bails
(Adventures of a Much Travelled Umpire)