THE death occurred in Newsham General Hospital, Liverpool, yesterday of Mr W. B. Croxford, one of the best known figures in Merseyside Rugby Union for more than 50 years.

Mr Croxford wrote on Rugby for the Daily Post and Echo for 37 years, but he was also widely known as an administrator in the game and, in earlier years, as a player.

Mr Croxford, who was 88, won Lancashire county honours as wing three-quarter.

He was one of the founders of Sefton Ruby Club in 1907 and was club captain from 1911-14,

After his retirement as a player, he became a county selector and was chairman of Lancashire Schools' Selection Committee.

Mr Croxford, who lived at Lyndhurst, Leyfield Road, West Derby. Liverpool, was headmaster of Barlows Lane County School, Aintree, until his retirement.

Harry Fry, a former England international and Past President of Lancashire rugby writes: W.B. Croxford was one of the great men of Lancashire rugby. Educated and trained in the game at Denstone, he played for Lancashire as a wing threequarter before the First World War.

I knew him first when I was an up and coming fly-half or centre three-quarter at Liverpool College and he advised me - wise man as he was - to go back to my original position as a wing forward - advice which paid me handsomely.

He was a great student of the game, particularly with regard to schoolboys, for whom he did tremendous work. He was always at hand to bring to the notice of the county selection committee any young player's who showed promise

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