Bob Slicer, above, a close friend of Geoff Boycott and the founder in 1970 of the Bradford-based National Breakdown Recovery Club, died on June 4 at a nursing home near Melbourne, aged 85.

Bob and his wife, Sheila, had spells living in Andorra and Florida upon Bob’s retirement before finally settling in Melbourne to be near their two daughters.

A keen Yorkshire member, Bob became chairman of the Yorkshire Reform Group when Geoff Boycott was sacked by the Club in October, 1983, and he and the group played a big part in the Club’s General Committee being overthrown and Geoff reinstated as a player.

Before these difficult times, the National Breakdown Recovery Club sponsored Yorkshire man-of-the-match awards for a couple of seasons and Bob never tired of telling whoever would listen that on one occasion he bowled Geoff in a warm-up session at Bradford Park Avenue before play began.

(Photo: Courtesy of the Yorkshire Post)

DAVID WARNER