The cricket community, particularly in Gloucestershire, finds itself grieving after the recent loss of Roger Gibbons, who passed away last week at the age of 80. Roger’s impact, as the club’s president from 2019 to 2022, is best epitomized by his lasting contribution to the Gloucestershire CCC Heritage Trust, ensuring the county’s rich cricketing history continues to be celebrated and preserved.
Founded in 2014, this trust was established to safeguard Gloucestershire’s cricket legacy. Roger was there at its inception and took on a significant role when the Museum and Learning Centre launched at the county’s Nevil Road headquarters in Bristol. As a Trustee, he was instrumental in these efforts.
A few years back, my own path crossed with Roger’s as he kept me abreast of the museum’s occasional publications through our email exchanges. Roger authored many of these works, and while my bookshelf doesn’t boast a full-length book by him, his well-researched monographs have been invaluable additions.
It’s possible that Roger received some help with the design and layout of these publications, but undeniably, the core of each piece was its captivating content. His monographs delved into meticulously researched yet lesser-known facets of Gloucestershire cricket. Roger possessed an uncanny ability to weave his thorough understanding into engaging narratives, making even the most obscure cricket stories a joy to read.
In 2015, Roger began with “In Memoriam,” honoring Gloucestershire cricketers who gave their lives in the Great War. This tribute was reprinted in 2019, along with three others, including my personal favorite, the remarkable “The Tour That Never Was,” detailing a planned Gloucestershire cricket tour to India in 1936/37 that never materialized.
That same year brought “Delayed in Transit,” chronicling the creation and games of the West of England XI during the wartime summers of 1944 and 1945. “Dealings With a Dead Man,” another standout, would likely have remained untold if not for Roger’s efforts. It detailed his discovery of a historical mix-up regarding a mystery cricketer from the Victorian era.
After a brief hiatus, Roger released four more titles in 2022. The first, “Concerning CB Grace,” explored the legacy of WG Grace’s youngest child, Charles Butler Grace. Another, “George Pepall: Cricketer and Countryman,” mirrored the intrigue of “Dealings With a Dead Man” by spotlighting a sporadic Gloucestershire player with a compelling story.
His other 2022 works paint vivid pictures of cricketing and social history. “Holidays at Home: Gloucester Cricket Week 1943” delves into the wartime amusements for Gloucestershire’s residents, while “Bristol Cricket Challenge Cup Competition 1885-1892” revisits a forgotten Victorian knockout cup.
I had hoped that by now, Roger would have graced us with more of his insightful publications. Unfortunately, his passing might halt that, unless any of his drafts are near completion. I sincerely wish his Heritage Trust colleagues can finalize and publish them.
Beyond his historical pursuits, Roger collected more than just cricket tales. An accountant by trade, his recent tributes portray him as a delightful raconteur, with interests spanning beyond the cricket pitch. I had the pleasure of meeting him last November at a Lansdowne Cricket Club event organized by Stephen Chalke. There, Roger approached me to introduce himself—apologizing for the interruption—and hoped for a later conversation that, sadly, never happened. Even in that fleeting interaction, his warmth, wit, and cricket knowledge left an indelible impression. The photo accompanying this memorial, showing Roger signing monographs at Boundary Books, encapsulates his charismatic spirit beautifully.
