Roy Goddard sadly passes away
28th April, 2020
Written by Andy Wood
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It is with great sadness that we announce that Roy Goddard has passed away at the age of 90. Despite being a Southerner by birth Roy spent much of his working life in Kirkbymoorside and on returning to Yorkshire in 1985 after a period on the South coast, our club was blessed that Sicklinghall CC became his and their adopted home from then on.
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Despite his playing days being behind him by then, Roy would be there every week alongside his beloved wife Monty, as well as Nessie and Willie, to watch his son Andy play. The whole family very quickly became a very popular part of the Sicklinghall family. Roy was proud of everything that Andy and Nessie did and no chest was puffed out further than his when Andy whacked a six to win a tight game at Bishop Thornton, where having being sledged for hitting “cow shots” shouted at the opposition to “fetch it back from that cow field!” Roy would tell that story often, always culminating in him descending into fits of laughter as his chest burst forwards once again. When Andy lifted the Division 1 League Championship in 1995 his chest nearly popped his shirt buttons!
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Roy was broken when Monty died suddenly in 1992 and the cricket club became an even bigger cornerstone of his life. For many years he could be found perched in his chair in front of the pavilion, enjoying the game with his family or chewing the fat with the players and spectators. Roy especially liked the lighter side of things and while he was Sicklinghall’s biggest fan and while as a former player he knew when to hold his tongue … when one of the batsmen played a daft shot and walked off to near silence, the twinkling smirk on Roy’s face told them that they would cop some soon enough …… and every one of them loved him all the more for it! His one liners were always pure gold and delivered in a wonderful dry way that could never offend.
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Roy loved Sicklinghall CC and as his health failed in the last year or so he would still be on the phone during games, wanting to know what was happening. Central to everything though was his wonderful family and all our love, thoughts and prayers are with Andy, Irene, David, Michael, Nessie, Willie and Ali at this sad time.​
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