A CELEBRATION of the life of York Cricket Club chairman Chris Houseman is to be staged at the arena in which he was known as Mr Clifton Park'.

The funeral of Houseman, who died last week after a long battle with leukaemia, will be held on Monday, February 18 at York Crematorium from 2pm. After the service there will be a celebration of Houseman's life, in which he was associated with York CC and York RUFC for 50 years, at Clifton Park.

Since news of his death was published in The Press last week more tributes have been made.

David Taylor, a member of both York CC and York RUFC, called for a memorial tribute to be sited at Clifton Park.

He said: "The very sad and untimely passing of Chris Houseman, brings to mind the efforts of the late Barry Temple, who in another era at Clifton Park performed identical voluntary heroics as secretary/ manager, which were marked by the erection of memorial gates, now in a state of disrepair.

"It would be most appropriate if Richard Wood and his fundraising committee for the new development at Clifton Park could incorporate a similar fitting tribute to the man rightly described as Mr Clifton Park'."

Taylor was a contemporary of Houseman as students at Archbishop of Holgate's Grammar School in the mid-1950s.

He added: "As a member of the first XI (cricket) and first XV (rugby union) at AHGS, I vividly recall young Houseman's talent and enthusiasm for the games he was to serve so well in later years. His organisational and leadership qualities were all too apparent.

"It was always his burning desire to have a championship-winning cricket team to match the excellence of the cricket arena at Clifton Park and the significance of achieving this again last season adds to the pathos.

"Chris was one of the driving forces behind the need for a new clubhouse and sadly he will not be present to see the dream fulfilled."

Houseman worked in the oil industry for Shell Mex-BP and later BP before his retirement. Said Chris Allen from the London office of Britannic Strategies Limited, a company linked to the oil business: "The oil trading world has lost one of its greats."

Former Press sports editor Martin Jarred said: "Chris was much more than a fantastic servant to York CC and York RUFC. His influence stretched far beyond Clifton Park.

"I have never met a person so dedicated to grassroots sport."