DR CUMBES HONOURED BY UNIVERSITY Jim Cumbes, the former Lancashire chief executive, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Manchester Metropolitan University in recognition of more than 50 years of service to cricket and the North West region. Cumbes left school with just four GCEs but his work as chief executive at Manchester, during which time Old Trafford was redeveloped, and a 20 season playing career, secured him the university’s prestigious honour. Cumbes was presented with his doctorate in business administration at a degree ceremony at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. ” I was staggered. I didn’t know what to say when I got the letter. If my school teachers had known they would have wondered what on earth was going on,” Cumbes said. ” The citation said I was being awarded a doctorate in business administration for service to sport, the community and the region. ” We had the presentation ceremony a couple of weeks ago at the degree ceremony for the students. ” There were about 500 ‘proper’ degrees presented and then mine half-way through which was presented by the vice chancellor. I was there in the cap and gown and it was a lovely ceremony. ” Once I had got over the shock of a letter coming and asking if I was prepared to accept it I thought it was great. ” I took my wife, son, daughter and surviving sister along. They were up in the balcony and they were all very proud. ” It was nerve-wracking as I had to speak for three to five minutes accepting the doctorate and a note to the students to link it to what the future holds for them.” Cumbes’s daughter Hannah got her degree from Leeds University the hard way and now works as and IT and Business Studies teacher in Warrington. ” When she came for Sunday lunch the other day I said to her: you might be teaching business studies, but you are now talking to Dr Cumbes, BA Hons,” Cumbes said. Cumbes played for Lancashire from 1963 to 1971, from Surrey from 1968 to 1970 before he rejoined Lancashire for the 1971 season. He moved to Worcestershire in 1972 and ended his career with Warwickshire in 1982. He then moved into the commercial department at Edgbaston and was commercial manager from 1984 to 1987. Cumbes then joined Lancashire in a similar capacity and was chief executive at Old Trafford from 1998 to 2012. He also played league football as a goalkeeper for Aston Villa, Tranmere Rovers, West Bromwich Albion and Southport. {{ak_sharing}}
