Devon cricket community remembers Dave Gambie who has died aged 78 | Player, umpire and administrator – he did it all | 'Dave Gambie was, undoubtedly, one of Devon’s ‘Wise Men of Cricket' – Ed Leverton
BY CONRAD SUTCLIFFE
THE Devon cricket scene has lost one of its hardest-working figures with the death of former player, umpire and administrator David Gambie. He was 78 and had been suffering from cancer.
Gambie, a left-arm seam bowler, played club cricket for Exeter St Thomas, then Exeter CC and finally Exeter St James (later renamed Topsham St James), as well as Devon over-50s, Devon Seniors and England over-70s.
There was time during his serious playing days to serve as Exeter CC’s secretary between 1984, when he succeeded David Adamson and 1997, when Andy Ashcroft took over. His service to Exeter CC was recognised with the award of life membership of the club.
Gambie’s final playing move was to what was then called Exeter St James, where he took on the club secretary role in 2001. He served in that capacity until 2007, when the club was restructured.
When St James returned to Saturday afternoon league cricket in 2008 – they withdrew from the DCL in 2007 due to team-raising problems – Gambie and three other loyalists were given life memberships.
A seat on the Devon League administration had come along in 2003, when Gambie was elected as the B Division clubs’ representative. When St James were relegated at the end of that season, he fulfilled the same function for C Division clubs.
Gambie’s next role with the league was as vice-chairman to Bob Merrifield, which he thought would be a three-year stint starting in late 2005. By the following summer Gambie was de-facto chairman owing to Merrifield stepping away due to bad health. The appointment was confirmed at the end-of-season annual meeting.
Paul Smith, who was vice-chairman throughout his term, said Gambie was a perfect fit for the difficult job of running an expanding and sometimes fractious competition.
“Dave was a really fair man and an ideal chairman,” said Smith.
“We tackled discipline issues head on and created a tariff for misdemeanours. Dave didn't shy away from making difficult or unpopular decisions for the benefit of the game and league.
“Dave was really hard working and when he stepped down as chair never left the game. He remained as a panel umpire, Senior’s player and later president and life member of two clubs – a rare thing indeed.
“Dave was very well liked by all who knew him and will be missed by all the cricket community.”
The late Joe Clowes, who had been the A Division representative on the management committee, took over when Gambie called time in 2009.
Freed from league duties, at least for a while, Gambie had more time to devote to the Devon Seniors, whom he had helped to create in 2001 as a successor to Devon over-50s.
“David drew-up our first constitution and created a proper club, which had not really existed before,” said Tom Stanton, another of the founders.
“He played more than 100 times for the seniors. And in 2016 he played for England over-70s against Australia.
The Seniors recognised Gambie’s efforts on their behalf by making him the club president.
Gambie joined the league umpiring panel in 2013 and was a regular in the middle until 2019.
“David stopped full-time when Covid started, but would fill-in odd games until 2024,” said Chris Sleep, the DACO appointments officer. “He dedicated his time to Topsham St James after that, until he was too unwell to carry on.”
The Devon Cricket League found an elder statesman role for Gambie on the executive in 2015, which morphed into the rules and regulations officer in 2019. That post continued until 2021.
Gambie won the Services to the League award in 2018 and was given life membership of the competition in 2022. When long-serving league president Graham Shears died in 2024, Gambie was the obvious choice to take over.
David John Gambie was born in the Home Counties on December 27, 1946 and acquired passions for cricket, football and fishing at an early age.
When Gambie moved to Exeter he started playing football for Pinhoe, where he struck-up a lasting friendship with Steve Fairbairn.
“We played football together and also cricket for Exeter 2nd XI, where I opened the bowling with him,” said Fairbairn.
“As a bowler he had a winning mentality, but he could not bat to save his life!
“It did not surprise me that Dave had so many cricket jobs: he had to be involved and if there was a job to do it had to be done properly.”
Matt Williams, the chairman of Topsham St James, said Gambie would always be remembered with affection at the club.
“David was a stalwart of our club as a player and administrator, continuing thereafter to be on hand to offer advice whenever asked,” said Williams. “He was still playing in league matches until 2013.
“When no longer on the league umpires’ panel, he umpired for our 1st XI until the end of 2024. The team were grateful for his professionalism, though what he thought of some of our batting collapses probably can’t be printed!.
“We will miss his dry humour, love of cricket and knowledgeable presence at our club greatly.”
Ed Leverton, formerly the ECB’s representative in the South West, worked closely with Gambie in a number of capacities. Leverton said Gambie rigorous approach to any task was worth its weight in gold.
“Dave Gambie was, undoubtedly, one of Devon’s ‘Wise Men of Cricket,’ someone to whom you could turn if you were faced with a problem, or situation, which was proving difficult to solve,” said Leverton.
“I had the great pleasure of experiencing the depth of his knowledge of and commitment to cricket when we found ourselves together on a working party to establish a new constitution for the League in 2015. We found ourselves on that group in the company of the redoubtable David Court.
“None of us had any previous experience of the task involved. However Dave came to that meeting armed with the results of many hours of diligent research. In his own quiet way, he successfully directed that task to a successful conclusion.
A man of principle and a man dedicated to his cricket. He was invited to become league president, but it was a role in which he served for a short time. We will all miss his guiding hand and sound, solid, advice.”
Fishing was a serious business for Gambie. Sheila Harding who succeeded him as Topsham SJ secretary, soon found that out…
“I quickly learned not to phone his mobile on a Tuesday as that was when he went fishing and he said the noise of the phone ringing frightened the fish away,” said Sheila.
Gambie was an ardent Exeter City football fan, who seldom missed a home game. He also had a soft spot for Tottenham Hotspur.
Little more than a year ago Gambie helped get a walking football initiative going in the Exeter area.
David Gambie worked for many years as a financial advisor for Exeter law firm Gilbert Stephens. He is survived by wife Pat, two daughter and his grandchildren.
A private funeral service for family only has already taken place. A memorial service is planned later in the year.
