Dave Goodacre 1942 - 2022

Leicestershire CCC is extremely saddened to hear of the passing of scoreboard operator Dave Goodacre.

Dave pulled the strings and changed the numbers in the Milligan Road manual scorebox at the Uptonsteel County Ground for almost two decades and was a life member at the club.

The Running Foxes have kept the tradition of having a manual scoreboard at the Uptonsteel County Ground and Dave was delighted to see a revamp of facilities thanks to a generous donation from The Friends of Grace Road in 2020.

Sadly he was unable to experience it first-hand that season because of COVID-19 restrictions and the shortened season, but the club was delighted to welcome him back last year.

Dave decided to retired from scorebox duty at the end of the 2021 season. He also dedicated a vast amount of time to the local umpiring scene, and was a huge help to his friends on the county circuit by collecting autographs on their behalf.

A fount of all knowledge on his beloved club, Dave would regularly reel off a stat or start a piece of research to delve into a particular passage of history. Dave had a passion for facts and figures, of statistics and anecdotes, and was particularly good at remembering specific moments from certain seasons that many would be struggling to recall.

One of Dave’s favourite cricket stories came in a first-class game for Leicestershire against Glamorgan at Cardiff. He famously heard a message over the public address system at Sophia Gardens; originally there as a supporter, Graham Burgess was unable to umpire one particular afternoon and Dave stepped in to stand at square-leg. 

It was to be a record-breaking game as HD Ackerman scored the record Leicestershire CCC individual total, surpassing the only other previous triple century recorded by Brad Hodge.

Dave sadly took ill after his retirement and passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning after a brave battle.

Leicestershire CCC Chief Executive Sean Jarvis said: “We are so sad to hear the news, Dave was a huge part of the fabric of the club and he will be missed dearly.

“I spoke to him on several occasions last season when passing the box and he loved this club with a passion. He was a true Running Fox.

“We will honour Dave’s contribution to the club on the manual scoreboard that he dearly loved being a part of. Our thoughts and condolences are with Dave’s family and friends at this difficult time."

Cricket Operations Manager Dan Nice added: “Dave was a key member of our team and we kept in regular contact when he was unable to come into the ground in 2020. I knew he was so determined to come to work during the 2021 season and it was brilliant to be able to welcome him back.

“Dave will be missed greatly by all of his friends here. I am certain the topic of Cardiff will come up in conversation at the lunch table and I will smile and nod in memory whenever it is mentioned. He was so proud of it, and rightly so, as how many of us can say we have officiated at the highest level of any sport?

“We will miss Dave’s stories, one-liners and incredible Velcro-like memory for stats as much as his humour whenever the numbers got stuck in the box. I have no idea how he could recall events in such vivid detail as I find stats & numbers tend to blur into one as seasons go by.

“I was gutted to hear that Dave was unwell post retirement, and I wish he had been able to enjoy watching the team from the stands in 2022 as he so dearly wanted. My thoughts and sympathies are with his son Jim and the family, and his friends.”