FORMER Bacup cricket club chairman Alan Whittaker has described controversial former pro Roy Gilchrist as 'the finest bowler the Lancashire League has ever seen'.

Gilchrist, who died at his home in Jamaica aged 67 after suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and pneumonia, was equally as good but equally as hot-headed as any player to grace the league.

Whittaker was the treasurer at the club back in 1960 when the West Indian led the side to the league title.

"He was probably the finest fast bowler I have seen in the league," said Whittaker, who is now 73 and still lives in Bacup.

"It is hard to remember, because it is going back 41 years, but I always got on fairly well with him.

"He was certainly a little bit volatile, though."

Gilchrist had a considerable temper, and combined with a particularly unpleasant bouncer made him a bowler most batsmen would rather not face. Wisden described him as "menacing by virtue of his genuine pace and his ability to produce a bouncer as venomous as any sent down by the opposition".

Whittaker said: "I had to tackle him about a couple of things when I was treasurer and he was difficult to approach but he was always fine with me.

"He always gave his all in games, though, and was a good pro.

"There were one or two incidents where he lost his temper and had to be restrained and I think that is why he didn't get many games for West Indies."

Gilchrist did get his chance with the national side, on a tour to India, but was sent home after a massive bust-up with team bosses.

"They had to send him home because they couldn't handle him," said Whittaker. Gilchrist eventually made 13 Test appearances for the West Indies, taking 57 wickets.

He came to England with Middleton in the Central Lancs League in 1958 before moving to Bacup in 1960, where he took 126 wickets and a championship medal. He spent one season with Great Chell in Staffordshire before returning to Bacup for 1962 and 63.

He then signed for Lowerhouse, where he famously stormed out of a meeting with chairman Bob Lord, claiming "I will not play for Lowerhouse after this season as long as he is still in charge!"

It is believed that Lord accused the pace bowler of ruining team morale.

But Gilchrist stormed: "Why am I being blamed for the failure of the team? I am a bowler."

While in his second spell at Bacup, Gilchrist was accused of shirking match practice, attending only three or four sessions during the 1962 season, when his contract obligated him to at least two sessions a week.

And just years later, he ran into trouble with the law after he attacked his wife Novlyn in their home in Manchester.

He was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm after the court heard that he 'branded' his wife's face with a hot iron after she refused to go to a party with him.

She gave evidence in his favour in court and Gilchrist escaped a jail sentence. The judge said: "It is because of this good woman that you have enjoyed this lenient course. I hate to think that English sport has sunk so far that brutes will be tolerated because they are good at games."

Gilchrist was put on probation for three years but was soon in trouble again after he 'went wild' with a knife at a local cricket match in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.

The court heard that a fight broke out after a 'race row' at the cricket match. Gilchrist was said to have produced a knife which cut a man's face, before going back to his car and producing a larger knife.

He was sent to prison for 18 months for breach of his probation after being found guilty of causing actual bodily harm to two spectators.

Gilchrist lived in England for 27 years before returning to the West Indies in 1985 after suffering increasingly poor health.