Football league stalwart dies, 82

Tributes have been paid to one of the stalwarts of Sunday league football in the Black Country. Tom Bird has died at the age of 82.

President of the Wolverhampton & District Sunday Football League for 28 years, the popular former Navy man died following a stroke. He was today said to have brought "warmth and vision" to all who knew him.

Mr Bird, a former St Peter's Collegiate School student who went on to serve for 10 years on HMS Vindicatrix, returned to Wolverhampton where he became a foreman at Legg

Industries and began his lifelong devotion to the city's Sunday football scene.

He played for Wolverhampton Sunday League team Oxbarn - along with five other family members including his twin brothers Trevor and Melvyn.

He later played for Wolverhampton Transport with his eldest son Eric and eventually became manager of the Transport Club outfit.

In 1984, he was elected President of the Wolverhampton & District Sunday Football League a post he occupied until he was taken ill.

Paying tribute treasurer Terry Shinton said: "Tom was a kind and intelligent man who brought warmth and vision to the business of influencing all around him, he deserved and commanded respect.

"A leader and diplomat, someone you had to admire. Tom has left a gap that will be hard to fill.

Mr Bird's funeral took place at St Mary's Church, Bushbury Lane, Bushbury, on March 2.