RIP Tony "Lester" Pigott

The County Cricketers Golfing Society is devastated to have to share the tragic news that our much loved and admired Chairman, Tony ‘Lester’ Pigott, has passed away suddenly. Lester was our leader, our standard-bearer. He was at the very heart of everything that the Society stands for and wants to be. Since taking over as Chairman over a decade ago, Lester has enabled the Society to flourish, with more fixtures across the country, more active playing members and perhaps the greatest sense of camaraderie across cricket’s family than ever before.

Lester was a fine and passionate cricketer. His professional career with Sussex and Surrey spanned 18 years and included a dramatic call-up to play for England in New Zealand in 1984 (42 years ago tomorrow!). He went on to be the Chief Executive of Sussex and later a Match Referee for the ECB. He will be remembered for many things but he will always be known to the Society as a man who, despite his own challenges with cancer and diabetes, gave everything for all of us. Having just returned from Australia, announcing that he and the lovely Tracy had got engaged, he was very much at the helm, organising his teams for fixtures, exploring our first ever Two-Day residential Autumn Meeting and a potential Committee Room Dinner at Lord’s following last year’s hugely successful Long Room Lunch to celebrate our 90^th Birthday. That event, one which he drove from start to finish, was a triumph and it was almost entirely down to his determination and commitment.

The County Cricketers Golfing Society will miss Lester, as will the clubs that we play against. His passing leaves us all the more determined to continue his legacy and ensure that the CCGS remains true to his ambition of a family for cricketers of all ages to come together, maintain old friendships, make new ones and have fun. Ultimately Lester was a man who knew how to have fun and he made sure that we all did. RIP old friend. Taken too soon but never to be forgotten.