It is with great sadness that we report the death of Mike Gibbs (known to his teammates as “Gibby). Geoff Saunders described hearing of the news as “an innings that ended far too soon.”
Mike was a regular player for Barrow Gurney in the 1980s when the club had only one side, and he was a popular player at that.
Geoff recalls how, as well as his playing activities, Mike’s Evening Post delivery van was “very useful in transporting lots of things especially buffets for our Gentlemen’s Smoking Concerts”. Mike had a recent period in hospital but apparently died on the way home.
Sadly many of Barrow’s games of that era are not available on the official “Play Cricket” record but one game which has been recorded (against Bath Exiles) shows Mike came on first change and took 2/38 and batted at 8 in a game in which Geoff Saunders made 50, and, in which current players Pete Holdaway and Rod Reeves also played.
Mike is pictured below with his Barrow Gurney teammates (front row left)
Mike’s funeral is at 1.30pm on Friday 15th December at South Bristol Crematorium. All at Barrow Gurney Cricket Club would like to extend our condolences to Mike’s family and friends.
Geoff went on to say that he hopes that Barrow players of Mike’s era will say goodbye and have a beer or two, possibly at the Miners which for some years was his spiritual home.