Bill ‘Pussy’ Fletcher, a stalwart who filled a number of positions at Kirkby Lonsdale RUFC, has died at the age of 89.

He died at a care home in Gargrave on June 14 and his friends and family intend to gather at his beloved club when it is deemed safe to do so to scatter his ashes on the pitch.

Bill attended Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale and with his family farming at Cowan Bridge, he went down to Nottingham University to study for a degree in agriculture.

However, when the farmer died the farm was sold and Bill went on to work for Carrs Animal Feeds in Penrith.

As a player, he captained Kirkby Lonsdale in 1956/57 and he went on to spend time as secretary and treasurer when he served on the club’s committee while also running the line as a touch judge for many years.

When his mother moved to Skipton in North Yorkshire, he used to travel from Penrith to the club on a Saturday before travelling down to Skipton for the night, making the return journey on the Sunday, ready for work the following morning.

Kirkby Lonsdale RUFC president Michael Neal said: “He was a great raconteur and a wonderful man to spend time with, as he knew all the songs and could regale you with all sorts of stories.”