Beloved cricket legend Dickie Bird left huge £3.9million for family, close pal & charity after death aged 92 last year

CRICKET hero Dickie Bird left a £3.9million fortune in his will, The Sun can reveal. The legendary umpire, who died last September aged 92, passed the sum into a discretionary trust. Dickie Bird tragically passed away last September Credit: AFP Bird named his sister Marjorie, his niece Rachel and her children, and friend Graham Varger and his children as those who could benefit from his fortune Credit: Alamy It means his trustees can decide how it is shared out between his family, a close friend and a charity. Documents seen by The Sun show Dickie, real name Harold Dennis Bird, left a gross estate of £3,940,504, reduced to £3,900,473 after taxes, debts and costs were removed. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! His will was signed in January 2024 and a grant was issued by the High Court last week. In the 11-page document, Bird named his sister Marjorie Wyatt, his niece Rachel Wyatt and her children, and friend Graham Varger and his children as those who could benefit from his fortune. Cricket umpire Dickie Bird’s funeral was held at St Mary’s Church, Barnsley Credit: PA Geoffrey Boycott spoke at Dickie’s funeral Credit: PA He added that they could donate funds to any charity his trustees choose to support. Rather than leaving fixed sums, Bird handed control to his executors, Andrew Goodchild and niece Rachel Wyatt, and fellow trustee Alan Methley. Dickie asked for his funeral to be held at St Mary’s Church in his native Barnsley, and to be cremated. Bird picked up his iconic nickname at school, with the moniker sticking with him for life. Most read in Sport He played professional county cricket in the 1950s and 60s, starting with three years at his native Yorkshire. The batsman, who made two first class hundreds, went on to spend three years with Leicestershire before quitting aged 32. He switched to become an umpire and quickly established himself as one of the best in the game. Dickie was an official in 66 Test matches and 69 One Day Internationals, including three Cricket World Cup finals. The no-nonsense Bird was made an MBE in 1986 and an OBE in 2012 in for his contribution to the sport, and claimed to have met Queen Elizabeth II a huge 29 times. He also met King Charles, who unveiled a statue of Dickie in Barnsley in 2012. The no-nonsense Bird was made an MBE in 1986 and an OBE in 2012 Credit: Getty Dickie was an official in 66 Test matches and 69 One Day Internationals Credit: PA Other close pals included ex-Prime Minister John Major, TV star Michael Parkinson, and billionaire John Paul Getty. After retiring from umpiring in 1998, he was often seen at Yorkshire’s Headingley ground in Leeds, where an end is now named after him. He also made appearances on TV panel shows, played himself in a cameo on ITV soap Heartbeat, and penned an autobiography. The “national treasure” umpire never married, instead insisting he was wedded to the sport he loved. But he later said he regretted not settling down and having children.Ex-Yorkshire and England star Sir Geoffrey Boycott led tributes to his friend of 70 years, writing: “When I was 15 I was taken to Barnsley Cricket Club by my Uncle Algy. “He was a very good technical batsman but nerves got the better of him when he stepped up to play for Yorkshire and he could never quite hold down a place in the first team. “Surprising to those that knew him well when he became a First Class umpire he was absolutely brilliant. “He made light of his nerves, even channelled them into making a success of umpiring. “Players all over the world respected and admired him for his firmness, fairness and he did it with a sense of humour. He was loved by so many and became a legend.” And ex-PM David Cameron added: “So very sorry to hear that the great Dickie Bird has pulled stumps. “He was a national treasure and I was fortunate to have shared some hugely enjoyable times with him over the years. “At 92 he had a good innings. Farewell friend.” Comment now