Somerset chairman Charles Clark passes away

Clark, who became the county’s chairman in January 2018, had served on Somerset’s main committee since 2010

Somerset chairman Charles Clark has passed away, with the club’s president describing him as “a Somerset man through and through”.

Clark, who became the county’s chairman in January 2018, had served on Somerset’s main committee since 2010.

On his appointment, he admitted the role represented his “dream post”. He recalled how his love for the club had been initiated by his own family upbringing.

“My grandparents farmed at Wedmore and I was born in Somerset,” he said when his reign commenced. “My mother has followed the cricket since the late 1930s and has been a member ever since.

“When I was growing up, we used to get taken to watch Somerset playing at Weston-super-Mare so it has always been in my blood and it’s a great honour to become Chairman of the Club.”

“My father was an auctioneer in Taunton Market, and he brought me across to my first ever game in July 1967,” he said. “We were playing Pakistan that day. That year my grandfather gave me my first ever Wisden and I have got every year since then."

Somerset chief executive Andrew Cornish said of Clark’s death: “In the short time that I knew Charles I found him to be a man of great integrity.

“His passion for Somerset cricket was second to none and his enthusiasm for the club was infectious. He also took a huge amount of pride in his work.

“Even as his health faltered, his love for the club remained undiminished. We are all so pleased that Charles was able to be at Lord’s to see the club that he loved lift the Royal London One-Day Cup on that fabulous day.

“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with his wife Rebecca and his entire family at this sad time.”

Awful news. A great guy who loved the club more than anyone. RIP Charles- you will be missed by many💕🏏😇 https://t.co/MzrceXPd3o

— Tom Banton (@TomBanton18) June 21, 2019

Somerset president Brian Rose added: “I knew Charles for a long time, and he was a Somerset man through and through. He took a huge interest in every element of the club, from the progress of the academy players all the way through to the development of the Cooper Associates County Ground.

“Charles was of the opinion that Somerset was the best club in the country, and he made it his mission to convince everyone that he met that this was the case.

“He took his role very seriously and took huge pride in how the county club was helping to develop the game from grass roots level through to the International arena. Somerset matches won’t be quite the same without him.”

Picture credit: Alain Lockyer

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