A STALWART of the Basildon sporting scene, Arthur Malcolm Burch, died on Tuesday October 10 after a long illness.

The 87-year-old retired teacher was a mainstay of Basildon’s Cricket and Golf Clubs, but his sporting interests also included football, rugby, coaching and club administration.

It is expected that many members of the town’s sporting community will be at his funeral which will take place at Pitsea Crematorium on Thursday October 21 at 3.15pm.

Leicester-born Arthur moved to Basildon in 1964 from Yorkshire where he had briefly played rugby league for Leeds.

He was a mainstay of Basildon Schools Sports Association and a demon bowler for the new town’s cricketing first string while also teaching geography at Laindon High Road School - a school he remained at for more than 20 years.

His achievements as a sports administrator were many and varied.

Taking up golf at the age of 47, he was responsible for much of the development of the competitive side of the sport at Basildon’s municipal golf course, and served as both golf club captain and secretary in the 1970s and 1980s.

Always the enthusiastic sportsman, Arthur was largely responsible for building up Basildon’s membership to over 400 by encouraging members to enter competitions - often events that he himself had organised.

He improved and built up relations with Basildon District Council - a necessity with a municipal course - and was an executive member and chairman of the National Association of Public Golf Courses.

As a vice president of Basildon Rugby Club he loved nothing better in later life than watching matches at Gloucester Park and then at Gardiners Lane. And one of his favourite memories in later life was joining his son Nigel Burch in South Africa for the Lions rugby tour in 1997.

Nigel said: “Dad continued to enjoy all aspects of sport before his health and mobility became a major restriction to him. Sport in Basildon has lost a legend. He was a great man with time for others, whether in the classroom or on the sportsfield.”

Arthur is survived by his wife of seven years, Susan, and two grown up children. Arthur’s deceased first wife, Betty, was a lady captain at Basildon. Arthur has two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. All are following the sporting tradition of the family.