TRIBUTES have been paid to Farnham sports personality Jim Banks, who has died aged 88.

Banks was a talented all-round sportsman, playing football and cricket for Farnham – and also becoming manager of Town in the 1960s and 1970s.

Andrew Kieft, a past president of Farnham Cricket Club and a former team-mate of Banks, said: “Jim was born in Epsom in 1931 he moved to Farnham in 1936 when his parents were appointed managers of the Farnham Workhouse which was adjacent to Farnham Hospital.

“He was educated at Farnham Grammar School.

“During his active lifetime, Jim had been a cricketer, footballer and billiards and snooker player and latterly was a keen follower of horse racing.

“He was also a well-known local businessman with his own insurance broking company, firstly in Camberley and later Farnham.

“Jim played football at a good amateur level as a goalkeeper with Ilford, Kingstonians and Woking and then became a player and then manager of Farnham Town in the late 1960s and early 70s.

“This was one of the club’s most successful periods when a number of trophies were won.

“He played cricket for Farnham on leaving school in the late 1940s, being club captain for a number of years until the advent of league cricket, and continued playing well into his late 50s.

“A competitive fast-medium opening bowler in his prime and a middle-order bat and good close fielder, Jim was a valuable member of the club’s first XI.

“Later, as a qualified coach, he was heavily involved in Surrey Cricket Club’s junior teams as a team manager and organiser for many years.

“Farnham Cricket Club was very close to him and for some years he coached many youngsters for Farnham and Surrey both in the summer and winter, among them being a young Graham Thorpe.

“He was also very prominent, along with his brother Don, in the organisation and running of the cricket club’s successful celebrations to mark their bicentenary in 1982.

“Jim was also an extremely good billiards and snooker player, playing mainly at the Farnham Conservative Club where the billiards and snooker room bears his name.

“He was first Farnham champion in the late 1940s and was the dominant figure on the tables for six decades, winning his final title in the new millennium.”

Surrey County Cricket Club paid their own tribute.

The club said: “We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jim, who died following a short bronchial illness that developed into Covid-19.

“Jim played a huge part in the administration of Surrey youth cricket at under-16 and under-17 level for a great many years and made a huge contribution to Farnham cc and local league cricket.”

Surrey ccc academy director Gareth Townsend said: “Jim never sought the limelight but was dedicated to the development of young cricketers in the county.

“I would always ask him to come to the under-17 national finals we played in – we made finals in three successive years at Headingley, Bristol and Leicester – but instead he always waved us off and wished us good luck.

“We lost all three and I always told him that if he came, we would have won all of them!

“Although we lost all three, those three finals in successive years saw Surrey field sides featuring players like Arun Harinath, Laurie Evans, Chris Murtagh, David Balcombe, Neil Saker, Rory Hamilton Brown and Stuart Meaker, so although we didn’t win on the day, the contribution to the long-term success of the club should not be under-estimated.

“His unstinting efforts and work allowed Surrey to operate a quality programme for many of our young cricketers.

“As well as this, Jim was a keen club cricketer himself – and footballer – and even in his 80s was often seen running the roads of Farnham, although this stopped over the past 12 months when he struggled with health issues following a stroke and bronchial issues.

“Tonight, I will be raising a very specific glass to Jim. This is because he introduced me to red wine, by giving me a lifetime membership of the Wine Society!

“We will miss Jim and will always be thankful for his loyal support and encouragement over many seasons.

“My thoughts, and the thoughts of all at Surrey County Cricket Club, are with his wife Sue and their daughter Nicola.”