Geoffrey Boycott gets birthday message from Dickie Bird as he reaches 80 not out

One of the outstanding batsmen in Yorkshire’s history - a character, a familiar face to cricket fans the world over, Sir Geoffrey Boycott is celebrating his 80th birthday today.
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To mark his special day fellow Yorkshire cricketing legend Dickie Bird, 87, has opened up to The Yorkshire Post about his former Barnsley Cricket Club teammate and fellow octarian. Ruth Dacey reports.

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Geoffrey Boycott’s career and controversies in pictures

The former Test cricket umpire, said: “Congratulations on his 80th birthday - you’re still seven years behind me - I hope you have a very good day.

Sir Geoffrey Boycott is celebrating his 80th birthday today. Photo credit: Getty images.Sir Geoffrey Boycott is celebrating his 80th birthday today. Photo credit: Getty images.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott is celebrating his 80th birthday today. Photo credit: Getty images.
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"He has done well to get to 80 not out - it’s an amazing age. Geoffrey’s target should be 90 not out and then keep batting on to a century.”

Playing in 414 matches, scoring a total of 32,570 runs at an average of 57.85. Sir Geoffrey scored 103 centuries at county level, passing 1,000 runs in a season on 19 occasions and 2,000 once.

He also became the first man in the history of the game to score his 100th century in a Test match, at Headingley on August 11 1977, on his home turf.

But reflecting in his South Yorkshire home Dickie, who batted alongside Sir Geoffrey and Michael Parkinson at Barnsley Criket Club, said despite early signs of promise he could “never have imagined” the success Boycott, who was born in the mining village of Fitzwilliam, near Wakefield, would go on to have.

Dickie Bird, the former cricket umpire currently pictured self-isolating at home in Barnsley due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo credit: Tony Johnson/JPIMediaDickie Bird, the former cricket umpire currently pictured self-isolating at home in Barnsley due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo credit: Tony Johnson/JPIMedia
Dickie Bird, the former cricket umpire currently pictured self-isolating at home in Barnsley due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo credit: Tony Johnson/JPIMedia
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He said: "We had a great team at Barnsley - good team spirit and we enjoyed our cricket... and one day this young school boy called Geoffery Boycott turned up.

"I could see in the earlier days - he (Geoffrey) was such a good player off his back foot... He would let the ball come to him and he seemed to have a lot of time to play the ball. He picked the line and length up very quickly.

"I didn’t think he was going to make it to the level he did - because he wore glasses, as you know in his earlier days and his fielding wasn’t very good.

"But of course he improved his fielding and it was then an amazing rise - from the years 19-23, when he went from a league to county to becoming a Test cricketer."

England and Yorkshire batsman Geoff Boycott makes his way through the MCC members on his way to opening the batting on his 100th Test match during the 2nd Cornhill Test Match between England and Australia at Lords, on July 2, 1981 in London, England. Photo credit: Adrian Murrell/Allsport UK/Getty Images.England and Yorkshire batsman Geoff Boycott makes his way through the MCC members on his way to opening the batting on his 100th Test match during the 2nd Cornhill Test Match between England and Australia at Lords, on July 2, 1981 in London, England. Photo credit: Adrian Murrell/Allsport UK/Getty Images.
England and Yorkshire batsman Geoff Boycott makes his way through the MCC members on his way to opening the batting on his 100th Test match during the 2nd Cornhill Test Match between England and Australia at Lords, on July 2, 1981 in London, England. Photo credit: Adrian Murrell/Allsport UK/Getty Images.
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Boycott left to join Leeds and play under the influential captain Billy Sutcliffe, before going on to play at county and then national level.

Dickie said: "When he went to Leeds...that was the turning point in his career. And then it was his application, his dedication, and his concentration that did the rest."

"It was sad to see him go - because he was a good player at Barnsley cricket club you see, but he benefitted by going to Leeds because he played under a good captain.

"Boycott went to Leeds and Billy did a lot for him... and well the rest as you know is history."

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James Mitchinson