LAVISH tributes have flooded in for Chris Houseman, the chairman of York Cricket Club, who died this week.

He was aged 70 and is survived by his wife Judy.

Houseman had a lifelong association with the club at Clifton Park, where he was also heavily involved as a player and then official with York Rugby Union Club.

Marcus Wood, skipper of York CC who captured the ECB Yorkshire Premier League crown last summer much to the delight of Houseman, told The Press: "Everybody at the club is extremely saddened. His passing is a great loss to the club and he leaves a hole here which we will not be able to fill."

Houseman had been battling against leukaemia for several years, yet Wood, who attended the inaugural York Sports Awards last November with his chairman, said the York CC mainstay refused to be bowed.

"It was quite amazing the amount of work and energy he put into our club and into the whole of cricket. We are all gutted at York Cricket Club."

Bob Paddison, chairman of the York Cricket Coaching Association, described Houseman as a true English gent'.

Invited by Houseman to coach York CC's burgeoning crop of youngsters in 1989, Paddison said: "He is the best person I have ever worked for in my entire life - and he was the best friend you could have. He was the only person I would ask for advice in any cricket matters.

"I have never known anyone in cricket to compare with him for his knowledge of the game. He was so wise in all cricket matters. Everybody respected him.

"Over these past years or so I must have spoken to Chris either to his face or on the telephone 250-300 days a year and he had all those old-fashioned virtues that for many are now long gone. He was a true English gentleman with a touch of steel about him."

Born in York in September 1937, Houseman attended Clifton Without and Scarcroft junior schools before going to Archbishop Holgate's Grammar School, where he excelled at first-team level in both cricket and rugby union. He was also head boy there.

National service was in the RAF and he studied for four years at Oxford University before joining oil giant Shell-Mex BP in the early 1960s.

He worked in London, Leeds and Edinburgh and captained the Grange Cricket Club as well as playing for the oil company's cricket and rugby union teams.

His later position as oil trading manager for BP took him across the globe but when he retired and returned to York he was back at Clifton Park as chairman of York Cricket Club.

Former school-friend at Archbishop Holgate's and former team member of York RUFC, Alan Robertshaw recalled: "His sporting passions were always rugby union and cricket.

"Even at school he was always involved in various committees. I have known him for more than 50 years and the thing about him was he was always reliable, he was always there.

"He did our reports for the Evening Press and he was always helping out in cricket and rugby union at the club.

"Whenever I went to Clifton Park, 99 per cent of the time Chris would always be there.

"He was Mr Clifton Park and he will be a very big, big loss."