WITNEY RFC plan to honour the club’s first captain, Doug Richens, who died suddenly while on holiday last week, by staging a floodlit match in his memory.

Richens, 71, from Carterton, was a founder member when Witney started up at Dark Lane in 1965.

He become their first player to be selected for Oxfordshire, and also played for Oxford.

Equally at home at second row or at No 8, he had two spells as Witney captain, before retiring from the game when he was in his 40s.

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Since then he became a vice-president and a regular supporter, with his son, Alan, playing in the first team.

Paying tribute, club president Pat Hall said: “He was a great personal friend and could only be described as a tough gentle giant.”

Witney have recently had floodlights installed on their main Hailey Road pitch, and Hall added that it was hoped to stage a night match in Richens’s memory.

A keen sportsman, Richens also played cricket for West Witney, squash and golf.

He worked as an engineer at Smith’s in Witney, and their subsidiary company, Sifan Systems, before his retirement.

He leaves a widow, Shirley, a son, Alan, three daughters, Denise, Alison and Amelia, step children Andrew and Kerry, together with grandchildren, Matthew, Daniel, Luke, Charlie, Abigail, Olivia, Cameron, Evie and Jack.

The funeral will be held at St John’s Church, Carterton, on Friday, October 10 at 12pm.

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