Former Somerset Cricket Club president and Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) and Bermuda Football Association (BFA) administrator Alfred Simmons will be laid to rest today at St. James Church in Somerset.

Simmons is remembered for his many contributions in the sports arena and for his involvement in Sandys Rotary Club and the Bermuda Police Reserves.

He died this week at the age of 85.

Memorial contributions in Simmons? name can be sent to BCB?s youth programme.

?Alfred was a stern member of the club and Somerset community. As a past president he was very no-nonsense and real business-like and his heart was always Somerset,? said former May 24 Marathon champion Neil Virgil.

?He was all Somerset and had a lot of respect and demanded respect at the club. He always made sure the club was kept in good condition and whenever you entered the club then you had to remove your hat and all of that stuff. He is really going to be a big miss.

?Alfred was an electrician by trade who helped a lot of people and he thrived on Cup Match. When it came to Cup Match he was decked out like a Christmas tree and he never missed the first ball.

?I can remember when he was president of Somerset Cricket Club he would always come out in his colours so that you knew he was representing the club.?

Offering condolences on behalf of the BCB yesterday, youth committee chairman and second vice-president Allen Richardson said: ?Obviously Alfred was a great man not only in Somerset but throughout Bermuda and in particular during his stint within the Board. And the gesture he has made of any donations being given to the BCB?s youth programme is greatly appreciated and certainly will be put to good use.

?He has certainly left a great legacy, one that will be hard to emulate, particularly up in Somerset.?

BFA president Larry Mussenden said: ?The family of football mourns the passing of one of our forefathers of the sport who served his community well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in this time of bereavement.

?We recognise that he was a gentleman in a sport that has traditionally held strong family values and he and other players of his era are a true model of what sportsmen and spectators alike should strive for and emulate as we participate in the game today.

?As we move forward in the development of the game it?s important for us to remember our history and traditions to ensure that all of these principals that Mr.Simmons exemplified remain near to our hearts.?