DAVID STOTT
What a sad year it has been for Shipley as I add David's name to those of Jim Sumner, John Cokayne, Danny Smith and Peter Hanson to the list of fine people we have lost.
David joined the club in 1976 when he was working in banking based in Ilkeston. He was a Yorkshireman by birth and in true Yorkshire fashion was forthright in his opinions. As a cricketer he had developed into a fine opening bat with a delight for striking the ball. He off drove with particular relish and frequently set the Shipley innings off on a positive note. He took over the captaincy in 1977 and led the team to a League Championship in his first season as such. It was a great shame when his work took him away from the club at the end of the next season. He played a few games for a local club near Durham but then his interest waned.
I need to recall just one match which summed up David's approach to batting. It was a Village Cup match of 20 overs a side played on a murky evening on a very dodgy pitch. None of the team I was captaining could work up any enthusiasm for the game but we managed to get the opposition out for 50, Not a bad score on a pitch that saw the ball spit off a length, with the next grub through. I looked around the dressing room for someone to open with David and most were looking the other way. When I made the choice of the eccentric Robin Pratt ( his comment was "you've got it in for me) our 3,4,and 5 padded up with great reluctance. Few of us who watched the next 9 overs could quite believe the way David played. The first over he faced saw 2 rasping off drives and he continued in that vein to reach his 50 with Robin at the other end on 0. It was the latter in true irony who hit the winning run.
Whilst in Ilkeston he divorced his first wife but quickly married again to the very bubbly Sue. They both subsequently settled near Durham where he ran a local pub for a short while before retiring and enjoying a full family life. His son, Peter, was a keen go-carter and this took the family to various locales to support him. He loved Rugby Union and was a keen follower of Newcastle Falcons
David captained the Presidents XI against Shipley and, in latter seasons and visited the ground whenever in the area and we also met up at Headlingly to watch his County team.
It was a great shock to learn that, at the age of 72, he was diagnosed with an inoperative brain tumor. He passed away peacefully just 6 weeks later.
Another lovely man has left us. In just three short years at the club he shone brightly as both cricketer and person.
