“A fine bowler and a good friend”
Tuesday 2nd November 2021
Following the devastating news of the passing of Alan Igglesden yesterday, ‘Iggy’s’ friends and teammates have paid tribute to a man that represented Kent over 250 times in a career for the county spanning between 1986 and 1998.
Matthew Fleming (Kent 1988-2002, Captain 1999-2002)
Those of us lucky enough to count Iggy as a friend and teammate are mourning a wonderful, gentle man who fought a horrid illness with great courage and dignity.
He was a hugely talented bowler and a much-loved member of the dressing room. He, his amazing wife Liz and their wonderful daughter Beth have been an example to us all.
Kent and England cricket have lost an opening bowler out of the very top drawer.
Chris Cowdrey (Kent 1976-1991, Captain 1985-1990)
I was privileged to have Captained the young Alan Igglesden at Kent and he was a joy to have in the team.
He would bowl his heart out, he knew how to hold a bat as well and most importantly he had a great sense of humour in the dressing room.
We would have won the Championship by a distance in 1988 if he had stayed fit. Everyone loved ‘Iggy’.
Steve Marsh (Kent 1982-1999, Captain 1996-1998)
A sad loss and the world is a lesser place without the big man in it!
Iggy, was the strongest man I’ve met. He tackled his continual illness with dignity and always with a smile on his face until the end.
Rest in peace my friend, I will never forget you and the great times we had together.
Simon Philip (Kent Cricket Chairman 2017-present)
Everyone at Kent Cricket is deeply saddened to hear of ‘Iggy’s’ passing.
He served Kent and England with distinction and his fundraising, despite his illness, was truly inspiring.
The tributes from his teammates reveal how admired he is as a cricketer and a man.
Liz, Beth and Iggy’s family are very much in our thoughts at this sad time.
Matt Walker (Kent 1992-2008, Head Coach 2017-present)
Losing such a wonderful man like ‘Iggy’ is truly heart breaking. He fought his illness so hard like the champion he is and he will be greatly missed by so many people.
When I started my career in the early ’90s, a cricket dressing room was a very different place to how it is now. As a young player, you just kept your head down and got on with it. You weren’t really coached, and there was very little support from senior players. There were a couple who were different, and Iggy was one of them.
He cared, took time to look out for me and gave me guidance in the five years we played together. I will always be grateful for the way he was with me in the those early days and our friendship remained up until today when he passed away.
Anyone that ever met Iggy couldn’t help but love him and he just had that knack of making people feel special when they were around him! Funny, charming, quick witted and always kind, he was always someone you wanted to be around.
He really didn’t deserve the hand he was dealt but he never moaned and just kept being the great man he is!
I will miss you mate.
David Gower (England Captain 1982-1986)
‘Iggy’ was a whole hearted player on the field and a lovely man off it.
The way he fought and coped with his illness, supported brilliantly by his family, was an example and inspiration to us all.
Michael Atherton (England Captain 1993-2001)
We last spoke in May when it was clear any further setbacks would be fatal and he was an inspiration in the way he stoically and cheerfully faced his situation.
A fine bowler and a good friend – I spent time with him in Cape Town in the early 1990s when recovering from a back operation and captained him in the Caribbean in 1994- he will be missed by his many former colleagues and team mates in the game.
Martin McCague (Kent 1991-2001)
‘Iggy’ guided me through my early days at Kent, helping me adjust to county cricket, living in England and how to look after the body for the repetition of fast bowling.
He was in the dressing room at Trent Bridge when I made my Test debut, and his words still stick in my mind: “before you bowl your first ball…stop! Take a breath…look around the ground…and take it all in…you’ll keep those moments forever”. He was right and in that moment I knew we’d be mates forever. Those words will never leave me.
He was truly a great ‘Man of Kent’ – may he rest in peace. He will be missed.
Richard Ellison (Kent 1981-1992)
‘Iggy’ was a close friend. We went on holiday to Portugal with him, and he was godfather to our son Charlie. He was a wonderful person and an outstanding bowler.
He will be greatly missed and I’m only glad I had the opportunity to see him, Liz and Beth when at Headingley over the last four years.
Neil Taylor (Kent 1979-1995)
Yesterday we said goodbye to such a wonderful man and loyal team mate.
We shared so many great times. Constantly laughing. No more so than when he lost a borrowed driver up a tree in Harare. I can still see the look of horror on his face. Everyone else was in tears.
David Fulton (Kent 1992-2006, Captain 2003-2005)
Heart breaking to hear that my old friend and teammate ‘Iggy’ has passed.
It was wonderful to see him via FaceTime 10 days ago. He battled a brain tumour for more than 20 years and was an inspiration.
Thinking of Liz and all the family at this incredibly sad time.
John Shepherd (Kent 1966-1981)
Alas, very sad news in Kent after ‘Iggy’s’ passing.
What a fighter! We had our annual Iggy Golf Day on 22 October at Westerham Golf Club, with a link up with Iggy and his family in Yorkshire at dinner. Even in adversity he melted everyone in the room with his smile, his only means of communicating.
I feel I have lost a younger brother.
