Derek Owen Layfield (1928 - 2008)
Derek was born in Brompton on Swale and although I don't know exactly when he
moved to Gilling, or indeed the precise date of his marriage to Dorothy (Dot),
he certainly became synonymous with the sporting life of the village. The prime
of his playing days were behind him when I arrived to teach at Richmond School
1972, so I initially got to know him as the father of Mark and Clive; he had I
know been an excellent footballer, cricketer and, I gather, darts player as
well. Also in the mid to late 1970s he along with Doug and Peter Deighton were
largely responsible for reviving the Gilling cricket team, which, for a number
of years, became very successful.
He didn't leave the Gilling club until approximately 1984 when he followed his
sons to Richmondshire CC, where for the following twenty four years he certainly
made an outstanding contribution. For most of these years he simultaneously
carried out the difficult and time consuming tasks of Fixture Secretary and
Membership Secretary; this through our period of development in the NYSD with
all its rules and regulations, while at the same time recording (and chasing the
subscriptions) of a membership which at its height numbered in excess of 800. He
also had a great love of organising tombolas and these became a regular source
of income, as indeed were the proceeds from the collection box which he
unfailingly took with him on his perambulations round the boundary edge at every
home game.
None of this would have been possible of course without the unfailing support of
Dot, who joined Derek at all games whether home or away, and we at Richmond owe
them a great and most sincere debt of gratitude.
We have of course a constant reminder of him in the excellent contributions made
to the club by his sons, grandsons and granddaughters. Randall and I, in our
History of Richmondshire Cricket Club, have outlined the playing statistics etc
of the Layfield family, so they'll be there for posterity.
David Crane
President
Richmondshire CC