Tributes to Shropshire cricket legend
Tributes have been paid to Shropshire cricket legend Geoff Othen, who has passed away.
The former Shropshire Minor Counties captain has died at the age of 82 after battling cancer for two years.
Othen remains the only man to have led Shropshire to the Minor Counties Championship, which was achieved in 1973.
He made his Shropshire debut in the 1957 Minor Counties Championship against Staffordshire.
The Shrewsbury-born right-handed batsman and medium pace bowler made 143 Minor Counties Championship appearances until 1976.
After retiring from playing in 1976, Othen became Shropshire CCC chairman, a post he held until 1985, and he continued his association with the county on the executive committee until 1988.
Shropshire CCC president Toby Shaw said: "Geoff was instrumental in winning our only Minor Counties Championship in 1973 and was a stalwart for the club and it's a very sad loss."
A telephone engineer for all of his working life, Othen lived in Copthorne, Shrewsbury then Radbrook Green and played his club cricket for the GPO, Wroxeter and Wem.
Along with cricket, Othen's other sporting passion was golf, and he joined Shrewsbury Golf Club in 1981, captained the club in 1996-97 and was president in 2008.
He was also a life member of Shrewsbury Amateur Operatic Society.
Othen, whose wife Rosemary died 22 years ago at the age of 59, leaves daughter Lyn, son Tim, three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
He was also a member of Meole Brace Bowls Club and his last outing was to watch the first team play on August 28.
He passed away at Severn Hospice in Bicton, Shrewsbury, and his funeral will be held on Monday at Shrewsbury Crematorium at 1pm.
