It was with great sadness that we learned this week of the passing of our friend, stalwart of the local cricket community and lifetime member of CSNICC, George Wilson.
George had an interest in cricket from an early age and took up the sport at his local club, Woodvale. This was an association that would last a lifetime for George as he played his early cricket for Woodvale and later on became President of the club which he loved fondly.
“Over the years watching Woodvale has brought me many memories and made me realise how lucky I’ve been to follow the greatest team in the country.”
George’s playing career also saw him don the whites for a stint with RUC.
George’s love of the game also saw him making a lasting impression on youth cricket as, along with Roger Bell, he helped guide the Belfast U14s in the Lord’s Taverners Inner Cities competitions. Through this venture they enjoyed significant success and helped many young players develop into successful senior cricketers.
George’s connection with North of Ireland CC began in the 1990’s when his son, Gary started playing cricket at Ormeau. It wasn’t long before Gary moved up through the ranks to the 1st XI and onto International Cricket in 2005 and then to Surrey as a professional cricketer in 2008. George was an ever present at the boundary proudly watching the progress of his son and passionate about how the team were doing.
After Gary had moved onto playing professional cricket George was still at the club supporting the various teams and taking a keen interest in their success. When the club merged with Civil Service at Stormont, George’s support continued. He could be frequently spotted around the boundary with his beloved Westie in tow.
In 2015 his dedication to our club was acknowledged when he received the honour of life membership at our annual dinner. The occasion made even more special as the award was made by our guest speaker, George’s son, Gary.
There is no doubt that George was a cricket man, a sport he loved all his life. Knowledgable about the game and always a pleasure to talk to. He will be sorely missed by everyone at CSNICC, Woodvale CC and his many friends throughout local cricket and further afield. Our thoughts are with his son Gary and family at this difficult time.
Rest easy George.
A funeral service for George will be held at 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺 on 𝗦𝗮𝘁, 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗼𝘃 at 𝟭𝟮:𝟰𝟬𝗽𝗺.
Thanks to CricketEurope and David Scott (Woodvale CC) for help with this article.
CSNICC 