In Memory of
Tom Forman (52)
Follifoot Cricket Club and The Kettlewell Fuels Nidderdale Junior Cricket League are deeply saddened by the death of Tom Forman who passed
away in the company of his family on 10 February 2021 after a short illness.
Tom had been a member of FCC for the last 8 years and was our Welfare Officer
and manager of the U.15 team: a team he has coached and managed since they were
U.8. He was a deceptively effective opening seam bowler for the 2nd XI and the
driving force behind the Club’s successful entry into the Nidderdale
Development League for the first time in the 2020 season.
Perhaps more than anything Tom was a sportsman in the true sense: as a youth he
played ice hockey, he played football with friends on Sunday and Monday
evenings at Rossett, cricket at the weekends for Follifoot, coached cricket to
juniors and organised and umpired their matches as well as coaching girls
football at Beckwithshaw. He refereed junior football games for Pannal Sports
where he supported his son Lucas with whom he also played cricket at Follifoot
and who to Tom’s evident pleasure is becoming a good spin bowler. He was also a
long time York City FC fan. He played the game; he played it the right
way; he was equally magnanimous in victory as he was in defeat; he was
knowledgeable and he gave back to the game.
Off the sports field Tom would perhaps be most at ease with a pint of craft
beer, listening to The Smiths or watching Seinfeld.
Undoubtedly Tom will be remembered for the example he set, especially his
patient inclusivity in developing junior cricketers and his quiet infectious
enthusiasm for cricket and football which so endeared him to those he coached,
umpired, refereed or played with and against.
The lives of the members of FCC and the wider local sporting community have
been enriched by Tom’s friendship, collegiality and sportsmanship. He will be
missed but always with us and never forgotten.
Our deepest condolences go to his family at this very difficult time
particularly his wife, Nivea, son Lucas and daughter Lucy.
Tom's family have requested that any further donations be directed to St Michael Hospice.
