Tribute to man who put heart and soul into Leek Wootton

Cricket secretary Ian Cox said Barnett had been the lifeblood of the club, filling a number of roles at the Memorial Ground, most recently groundsman.

“Clubs like ours need a Malc Barnett to survive and he threw his heart and soul into Leek Wootton Cricket Club,” said Cox.

“He played for the club for many years. Then after hanging up his pads he continued to work tirelessly, spending hours sitting on his tractor to produce the best ground around.

“You could see the look of pride on his face whenever anyone commented on how beautiful the ground looked.

“Malc also umpired and scored for the club in recent years and would always offer his advice to all who played.

“He just wanted ‘to give something back to the club’ and he loved every minute he spent involved.

“Our thoughts are with Estelle and the girls.”

Barnett’s funeral will take place at 11am on Thursday at The North Chapel, Oakley Wood Crematorium, followed by a wake at Leek Wootton Cricket Club.

A GoFundMe page which was set up to purchase a memorial bench for Malc to be placed at the cricket club far exceeded its goal with extra funds being used for a Malcolm Barnett Fund.

This will help fund cricket equipment for future generations of cricketers to enjoy.

https://www.gofundme.com/malc-barnett-memorial-bench-lwcc