GILBERT SWIFT and Tim Fletcher, team mates in Keighley's most successful rugby union team, died this week.

Together with the other members of the Keighlians team of 1948 they swept all before them, beating Sheffield 17-0 in the Shield Final at Otley and then beating Otley 14-9 in the Yorkshire Cup final.

That match, played on April 10, 1948, is still remembered by those who were old enough to be in the 7,000 crowd which packed Skipton's Sandylands ground, and the players returned to a heroes welcome in Keighley.

That team is still the only one ever to win the Cup and Shield in the same season.

Gilbert S Swift was captain of the Keighlians team, joining the Keighley club from Fylde after becoming sportsmaster at Keighley Boys Grammar School, later Oakbank Grammar School, in 1935, a post he held until 1974.

He was born in Workington and trained at Goldsmith Teachers' Training College in London and Carnegie Physical Training College. He represented London Universities at Rugby and was also Light Heavyweight Boxing champion. He also represented Cumberland and Westmorland in the Rugby Union county Championship.

He had also been tipped for national trials, but the war years interrupted his playing career. During the war he served in the Army Physical Training Corps reaching the rank of Company Sergeant Major, before returning to the school.

Mr Swift was not only a committed teacher, but arranged out of hours coaching, travelled with school sports teams and took younger boys for English, which he also taught in the evenings at Keighley Technical College.

In the mid-60's he became a founder member of the Yorkshire Schools' Sports Federation and was chairman in 1969-70. For 37 year he also took boys from the school on the annual camp to Kirkcudbright in Scotland.

In his retirement he played golf and loved fishing, but the Keighley Rugby Union club was his first love. He was a committee member for many years, was President in 1952 and in 1951 was appointed to represent Yorkshire Schools on the Yorkshire Rugby Union Committee, serving until 1971.

His highest honour came in the 1967-68 season when he became President of the Yorkshire rugby Union.

Upon his retirement the Keighlians magazine reported: "He was a member of staff without which schools and such-like communities just cannot fulfil their functions -- loyal, tireless and regardless of hours, in love with the job.

"His great patience and good humour have been noteworthy, and no boy in the gym or elsewhere could have had a kinder or more skillful attention."

He died on Tuesday, aged 85, in Herncliffe Nursing Home and is survived by his wife, Dorothy, son Bob, daughter Diana, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A funeral service is to be held at Oakworth Crematorium on Tuesday, January 18, at noon.

Timothy H Fletcher died in hospital last week aged 76, after a recent fall.

He was born in Silsden and had been married to Veronica, for over 50 years.

He was educated at the Leys School in Cambridge where he was captain of the rugby, hockey and cricket teams.

He served in the RAF during the war years, flying many missions over occupied Europe and at the end of the war became a life-long member of the Royal British Legion and worked to help comrades and families less fortunate.

On returning to civilian life he joined the family firm of Berry and Fletcher's Textile Mill in Silsden, where he spent all his working life. He battled against the decline in the textile trade, often travelling world wide to explore new markets.

He also joined the Keighley Rugby Club where he was a tough, but skillful scrum-half, playing in Gilbert Smith's team.

Following his marriage he moved to Gargrave where he threw himself into community work serving on the Parish Council for many years, was a trustee of the Village Hall and was also River Warden. He was also treasurer of the Craven lawn Tennis Club, another sport at which he excelled in his younger days.

He is survived by his wife, Veronica, daughters Rhodabel and Sally, son Nigel and grand-children. A funeral service was held yesterday.

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