Sports enthusiast William James Birtle has died at the age of 96.
Usually known as Bill, he was a keen footballer, cricketer, golfer and indoor bowls player who served as captain of Penrith Golf Club and was secretary of Wetheriggs — later Wetheriggs United — Football Club for more than a decade.
One of four children of the late Tom and Cecelia Birtle, Bill and his younger brother Fred were born in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, with the family moving to Tom’s native Penrith in 1929.
They lived above and ran a baker’s shop in the town’s Old London Road, and Bill acquired another brother, Gordon, and a sister, Joan.
The young Bill attended the former Meeting House Lane Infants’ School, Penrith, and then the nearby Boys’ National School, also since closed. At the latter he gained a scholarship to study at the town’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, where he gained colours at football and cricket.
Having completed his education, he started working as a junior clerk with the NFU Mutual Insurance Society in February, 1943, but in December of that year was called up to join the Fleet Air Arm as a trainee pilot.
However, he was stood down from active service until September 1944, so continued to work for NFU Mutual. It was during this period that he met his future wife, May Pollock, who had been evacuated to Penrith with her parents following the destruction of their home in Liverpool during a German bombing raid.
The couple were married in May 1948, by which time Bill had moved to Newcastle in order to continue his employment with NFU Mutual. They went on to have a daughter, Susan.
It was in 1951 that Bill changed employers to work for the British Oak Insurance Company as an inspector of agents, and further career developments saw the family make several moves, firstly from Newcastle to Middlesbrough and then to Edinburgh and Glasgow. He retired in 1988 and the following year he and May moved back to Penrith.
Always a keen sportsman, he played football in Newcastle with Bohemian AFC. It was not a North East team he supported throughout his life, however, but Arsenal FC. He covered county cricket matches as a scorer for Associated TV and Tyne Tees TV, and was involved with charity matches organised by the Lords Taverners.
As a golfer, he played casually at many courses in northern England and Scotland, and was a member at various times at the Murrayfield club, Edinburgh, Douglas Park, Glasgow, and, most recently, Penrith.
He served as captain of the Penrith club in 1995. He also enjoyed playing with the Eden District Indoor Bowling Club.
Bill was secretary of Wetheriggs/Wetheriggs United Football Club between 1989 and 2000. Club chairman Barry Turner said: “Bill was a lovely man who gave wise counsel and always made sure the job was done right.”
Wetheriggs wore black armbands as a mark of respect for his contribution to the club at their home game against Endmoor KGR at Castletown.
Bill made many friends in the places he lived and worked, but his most enduring relationship was with his late brother Fred and his wife, the late Jenny. This has been continued by Fred and Jenny’s children.
He outlived his siblings and all of his cousins apart from the youngest, Kathleen Thompson, who still lives in Penrith with her husband Stenny. His daughter Susan Watt lives at Livingston, near Edinburgh. He had three grandchildren.
The service of thanksgiving for his life was held at St Andrew’s Church, Penrith. Richardsons Funeral Directors, Penrith, had charge of the arrangements.
