Devon Cricket Board - Tributes paid to David Shepherd

David Shepherd (wearing pads) going out to field for Devon Colts against Somerset at Taunton in 1958

A MEMORIAL service is to be held in Bristol, with a reception at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, for the sporting world to pay tribute to Devon's famous cricketing son David Shepherd.

Shepherd died last week aged 68. The service is to be held at Holy Trinity Church, Westbury-on-Trym on Thursday, November 26, at 11.30am.

In Devon a private cremation is to take place at the North Devon Crematorium next Thursday, November 12, followed by a celebration of his life at Instow Parish Church at noon.

Shepherd was a jovial character who carved himself a special place in the sport.

Shep played for Devon and Gloucestershire before becoming a familiar face on the worldwide cricketing scene as a Test and international umpire for more than 20 years.

He officiated in 92 Test matches and 172 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals. He retired in 2005 and had been battling cancer for more than a year.

It was at the North Devon Cricket Club in Instow, where his family ran the local Post Office, that Shep first learned to play.

He took up the professional game with Gloucestershire, with whom he played for 14 years, and earned a reputation as a hard-hitting batsman.

But he never left North Devon Cricket Club and was always involved with it in one manner or another, serving as vice president right up until his death.

Paying tribute to a great friend and loyal supporter of the club, chairman Colin Payne said: “David has been associated North Devon Cricket Club for virtually the whole of his life and despite the fact he went off around the world and became a world figure, he always came back to Instow in North Devon. I think that’s where some of his happiest hours were spent, with his mates and colleagues at NDCC.

“The picture that will stick in my head will be of him walking around the ground with Skip his dog. Everybody knew Shep and Skip and he would always be sat in our long room watching the game. We have lost a great friend and life long supporter, player and an iconic figure of NDCC and we are all going to miss him.”

Among the tributes paid is one from former Devon team-mate Roger Moylan-Jones, who is now the county club’s chairman.

“I know that I speak for all the members of Devon County Cricket Club when I say how deeply saddened we all are by the news of David’s passing, and by the loss of our illustrious and well-loved president,” said Moylan-Jones.

“David earned the great respect and admiration of cricketers world-wide, and we were all so proud to claim him as our very own Devonian president once he had retired from the international arena. He will be so sorely missed.

“On a personal note, David and I grew up together in Devon cricket playing for Devon Colts and then Devon in the late 1950s, under the watchful eyes of Deryck Fairclough and Derek Cole.

“He remained the same true friend, totally unchanged by all his fame, when we met again around the Devon cricketing scene in these last few years.

“I shall miss his advice, founded on a wealth of cricket experience, his invariably humorous and perceptive homilies at our annual meetings, but most of all I shall miss the Shep we all know and love so well.”

He was appointed to the first-class umpires list in 1981, and made a rapid ascent to the highest level of the umpiring profession. After umpiring in the 1983 World Cup, he was appointed to his first Test in 1985. After umpiring in the 1987 and 1992 World Cups, he was awarded the honour of officiating at the finals of the 1996 and 1999 events, and has officiated in tests and one-day internationals all over the world.

He became known for his trademark of keeping one foot off the ground if the score was 111, considered an unlucky omen for batsmen.

He was widely respected throughout the cricketing world and honoured by Test teams.

In 1987 he was awarded the MBE for his services to the game.

There is a statue dedicated to him near Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

A tribute on the website of his former Gloucestershire club said: "David brought to all aspects of cricket a cheerful West Country approach. He was respected by all with whom he came in contact, especially the international players he encountered in so many Test matches. He always brought a smile to all our faces. For him cricket was a lovely game, a simple game and a game to be enjoyed. He brought so much enjoyment to so many of us."

Other tributes have poured in to the club, including from international umpiring colleague Dickie Bird, who described Shep as "a great man, a tremendous bloke" and also as "a fine umpire."

Hundreds of messages have also been left on Facebook, among them from young people from all over the world, including South Africa and Australia.