'ONE of my favourite people in the game and one of the most popular' was how Glamorgan County Cricket Club chief executive Mike Fatkin today described club scorer Byron Denning, who died yesterday, writes Paul Tully.

Mr Denning (pictured) of Badminton Grove, Ebbw Vale, died, aged 73, after failing to recover from a stroke suffered in hospital a month ago while awaiting a prostate operation.

Born in Pontywaun, near Cross Keys, he taught at Wattsville Junior School, Cwmcarn Secondary School and Ebbw Vale Comprehensive School at various times.

He was also warden at Ebbw Vale adult education centre and later Blaina Institute and also managed Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre for a short time.

But it was as secretary of Cross Keys Rugby Club for eleven years (he was one of only five life members) and particularly as Glamorgan CCC scorer for 18 years from 1984 that he is best known.

Universally liked for his mischievous humour, jokes and always smiling demeanour, Mr Denning as described by Fatkin as "a friend to everyone he met.

"Always cheerful with a great sense of humour, he was the perfect person who got on well with everyone and he will be greatly missed.

"He was also a complete professional and was the ideal person to cope with all the new technology that has come into the game.

"His two ambitions were to score for Glamorgan in a Lord's final and to score for England (he did so against Pakistan at Lord's in May) and it was nice to think he achieved them." Glamorgan skipper Steve James said: "He and Olwen (his wife) were great friends of my parents and had lunch with them only two days before his stroke and he was laughing and joking as usual.

"He was a genuinely, lovely bloke who was a friend of all the players and always had something funny to say.

"He was one of the most popular scorers on the circuit and a part of the furniture. He will be missed by everyone."

Cross Keys RFC Press officer Horace Jefferies said: "Byron was more than just a secretary of this club. He and his wife Olwen did so many other things. They were tremendous people."

As well as his wife, Mr Denning, who was also a former secretary and president of Ebbw Vale Cricket Club and a part-time journalist for many newspapers, including the South Wales Argus, leaves sons Alan and Nick.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.