BOURNEMOUTH-BORN cricket umpire Barrie Meyer has died at the age of 83.

His father Bert Meyer is reported to have told Barrie, when he was aged just three, that he was never happier than when playing with a ball.

Barrie was a choir boy and server at St Mary's Church in Springbourne and attended Boscombe School in Ashley Road.

He played football growing up, being part of the Bournemouth Schools' town team under the watchful eye of Paddy Gallacher, who was then on Boscombe football club's playing team.

Mr Gallacher recommended that Barrie should play for his team but a Daily Echo report dating back to October 1950 states that nothing ever came of it.

When he left school, he joined Pokesdown Lads' Club and played six times for the Hampshire Boys' Club team, which reached the final of the NABC tournament in 1948-49.

He would often go for training at Dean Court, with chief trainer, Dick Mellors, marking Barrie as a promising prospect but he still wasn't signed up to Boscombe.

In the 1948-49 season, aged just 16, he played for England against Wales at Wrexham in a Boys' Club international match and was awarded a cap.

In 35 cup and league matches for Pokesdown Lads that season, he scored 38 goals and was recognised by many as the best ball player and marksman in the team.

A scout for Bristol Rovers saw Barrie play and approached his parents about signing their son for the team which he did in July 1949, going on to score 60 goals in 139 league matches.

He also enjoyed playing cricket as a young man and was coached aged 17 by George Emmett, the Gloucestershire opening batsman, who described Barrie as a promising batsman.

Following a successful cricketing career, Barrie umpired in 26 Tests and 23 One Day Internationals, which included the World Cup finals in 1979 and 1983.

Barrie later moved out to Durban, South Africa, for his retirement where he died on September 13.