“He had an eye like a theodolite” said Dave (Ace) Robertson in praise of fellow Past President Alan Lambert. Alan was a man of many talents who felt that everyone should be encouraged to perform to the full extent of their own.

As a player in the '60s, he turned out for Liverpool and Lancashire but maintained his Wids membership. He put in stints as a Saturday night doorman and was an early advocate of pitch maintenance – a seemingly impossible task in that era – seeking advice from Liverpool Cricket Club and Naughton Park.

In the '70s, he took on the position of Assistant Treasurer for Lancashire RFU and served as Widnes RFU President from 1987 to 1989. The following year he was elected Clubman of the Year, succeeding his friend Maurice Hunt who became a regular brains trust colleague at the end of the bar, particularly on Thursdays. Like Maurice, he will be greatly missed but let us all hope that he will rest easily in the knowledge that the fields are in good condition and the posts are straight.

The club’s sympathy goes to Alan’s wife Pat and family.