Obituary - Frank Alston

Frank Alston - a tribute

With the passing of Frank, frequently known by his initials FDA, the club has lost an excellent former cricketer, an honorary member and great supporter of the Club and a generous and sociable  friend to many.

Coming originally from Liverpool, Frank joined the Club in 1972. Despite his undoubted cricketing prowess, his main influence and contribution at the Club was almost certainly his 16 years as Chairman between 1988 and 2004. It was during these years that the Club took the momentous decision to sell the Bull Pond Lane ground and move to Totternhoe. Whilst a small number of Club members combined to facilitate the move, it was Frank’s leadership, business acumen and strength of personality that made it happen. Whilst we can never be sure, it is realistic to doubt that without FDA, we would not have the unrivalled facilities at Totternhoe.

Frank was an attacking opening batsman, in later years relying on his excellent eye/hand coordination when batting or fielding in the gully, rather than technique. He was the top-scorer in the DTCC team that lost to Percy Main from Northumberland in the final of the National Cricket Association indoor 6-a-side in 1978. Whilst very few remember his bowling, in 1974 he remarkably topped both the batting and bowling averages in the Saturday 2^nd team. He captained the Sunday 1^st team in the 1970s and then the Saturday 2nds in the 980s.  He was an excellent captain, astute tactician and generous with advice to any youngster in his team.  Anyone who played for him never doubted who was in charge!

Frank was a fine all round sportsman. He played good level rugby for Old Northamptonians in the late 1960s and early 1970s and has remained in contact with his old club to this year. Frank was also a fine golfer and has continued to play including in recent months and played an annual game of tennis on tour, which stopped once he realised that either of his children could beat him ! He came from a large sporting family and for his 50^th birthday he captained the Alston family team against a Club invitational XI – and was dropped first ball!

FDA was a great tourist never missing the opportunity to take the family to South Wales and later to Bournemouth. Whether it was on the beach, in the hotel bar, at the pub, on the golf course or at cricket, Frank was great company on tour. In the late 1980s, our tour publication gave him the moniker, Lord Alston of Eaton Bray. Whilst originally meant as a gentle mick-take, Frank loved it, once using it to book a table at the Mumbles Beefeater. He would still refer to it almost 40 years later, illustrating his endearing ability to laugh at himself.

Frank was a tremendously sociable and very generous man- in days before league cricket when the fixture list hardly changed from season to season, he seemed to have friends at every opposition club. Trips back from away fixtures often involved pub stops – Maurice Weavers recalls leaving Eastcote CC with the first stop being The Case is Altered pub less than 100 yards from the ground! FDA was well suited, in so many ways, to a career in the drinks trade often meeting up with old friends!

Frank was an amusing raconteur with an inexhaustible collection of stories covering cricket, rugby, golf, the pub trade and often involving liquid lunches. Frank would always be confident in his recall of events although after a few drinks on a Sunday afternoon some of these stories appeared to merge. His leading of the Community signing at the Club Christmas lunch and particularly his attempted organising of The Twelve days of Christmas will last long in the memory of anyone “lucky” enough to be there!  

With his larger-than-life character, Frank brought friendship, humour and fun to so many people – the club will be a lesser place without him. The club’s deepest sympathies to Ann, Jen, Mike and the extended Alston Family.

Written by John McDougal with assistance from Graham Hill, Maurice Weavers and Roland Dodge.

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We can confirm that the funeral will at St Mary's Church, Dunstable, 12pm on Wednesday 18th November, then after at DTCC Function Room, Lancot Park, Totternhoe.