sport news Former Wigan Rugby League chairman Maurice Lindsay dies aged 81 trends now
Sky News presenter Kay Burley became emotional on air today as she had to announce the death of her close friend, the former rugby league executive Maurice Lindsay.
Lindsay, one of rugby league's greatest visionaries, has passed away aged 81.
Burley was presenting from the school she used to attend in Wigan - where Lindsay played a huge part in the success of the Wigan Warriors team - when she announced the news.
On Sky News this morning, she said: 'If you are watching us in Wigan we have some sad news for you. A very close friend of mine actually, sorry that's why I wanted my girls with me, sadly Maurice Lindsay has died, he was 81, he was amazing.
'He was basically the backbone of the town for a very long time.'
She added: 'He basically should have had a house at Wembley he was there all the time, we were both very close in the town and he would often take me down to be in the royal box at Wembley and we saw Wigan Athletic win in 2013 when they beat Manchester City in the closing minutes of the game.
'So I'm sure many people in Wigan will find it hard to comprehend, as I am, that Maurice has sadly left us. He was 81 years old and he was an absolute bloody legend.'
Maurice Lindsay, one of rugby league's greatest visionaries has passed away at the age of 81
The news was broken by an emotional Kay Burley who became great friends with Lindsay due to their Wigan connections - with the presenter announcing the news at a school in the town
A pioneer, who transformed the way the sport was run, Lindsay joined Wigan in 1980 and his impact was pivotal to the club's great success, recruiting such figures as Ellery Hanley, Dean Bell, Andrew Farrell, Denis Betts, Joe Lydon, Jason Robinson and Martin Offiah among others. The club went on to win eight successive Challenge Cups, multiple league titles plus the World Club Challenge and World Sevens.
'The strength of his personality was critical in Wigan's emergence as arguably the greatest club side of all-time in this country,' said RFL chief executive Ralph
