Mourners including former England captain Michael Vaughan gather for legendary cricket

Mourners have gathered for legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird’s funeral after his death aged 92.

Former players including ex-England and Yorkshire batsmen Michael Vaughan and Geoffrey Boycott were among those who arrived to pay their respects at St Mary’s Church in Bird’s hometown of Barnsley.

Bird, who was perhaps the most famous official in any sport, died on September 22. 

Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird died at the age of 92, Yorkshire Cricket Club confirmed last month

St Mary’s Church, Barnsley, is pictured ahead of the funeral service for Dickie Bird

Former England captain Michael Vaughan arrives at St Mary’s Church, Barnsley, for the funeral service of former cricket umpire Dickie Bird

The legendary umpire passed away peacefully at the age of 92

Among those present to pay their respects was former England captain Michael Vaughan. 

After hearing news of his death last month, Vaughan had shared a farewell message on social media, noting that it was ‘such a sad loss’. 

‘Mr Yorkshire will always be remembered,’ he added. 

Fellow mourners included ex-Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon, and Bird’s close friend and former England batsman Sir Geoffrey Boycott. 

Boycott read a eulogy during the service, which was held at St Mary’s, Barnsley. 

‘I first met Dickie Bird when I was 15, at the time I was playing cricket for Hemsworth Grammar School,’ he said, before noting wryly: ‘He called me Gerald for years.’

‘Surprisingly with all the nerves he had as a batsman, he became a great umpire because he could channel all that nervous energy into good decisions,’ Boycott continued.

‘Dickie was refreshingly different. Eccentric but fair. It would be hard to find anyone who didn’t like him.’

As a cricketer, Bird played 93 first-class matches as a batsman for Yorkshire and Leicestershire in a nine-year career ended prematurely by injury in 1964. 

But it was as an international umpire that he made his name, eventually standing in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, including three World Cup finals.

In 2014, he was named president of Yorkshire, and was a regular visitor to county and international matches at Headingley. 

He funded the Dickie Bird Players’ Balcony with £125,000 of his own cash.

At his final Test match, between England and India at Lord’s in 1996, he received a guard of honour from both teams, before going against his stereotype by giving Mike Atherton out lbw for a duck in the first over to Javagal Srinath.

A fervent royalist who claimed to have met the Queen 29 times, he was made an MBE in 1986 and an OBE 26 years later, in recognition of his contribution to the sport.

Known for his good humour in his individual officiating style, Bird was deservedly referred to as a ‘national treasure’ in a statement shared by Yorkshire in the wake of his death. 

‘Dickie Bird became a national treasure, known not only for his umpiring excellence but also for his eccentricities and warmth,’ the statement read.