Dickie Bird, who has died aged 92, was one of the most beloved, proficient and eccentric sporting figures of his generation. That an overwrought cricket umpire would become one of the most instantly identifiable figures in the country might seem unlikely, but his popularity extended far beyond the game to which he dedicated his life.
Bird was part respected cricket umpire, part music-hall comedian. His life became a perpetual run of gently embellished anecdotes, all of which cast him as the unfortunate fall guy struggling to cope with the challenges of the world. He would tell them with relish, looking round with mock unease that somebody might be listening. The more people who heard him the better: he generally liked an audience.
