Mike Swain – among the area’s most outstanding sportsmen for half a century

He was a lead player in the trophy winning Fareham soccer team from the triumphant Bath Lane days of the 1970s and scored the winning goal when Centipedes won the FA Sunday Cup back in April 1975.

A talented left-hand batsman and left-arm seam bowler, he played the bulk of his cricket for Gosport and was arguably the top all-rounder of his time in the old Southern League.

He moved on to play seniors’ cricket for Hampshire and, when he qualified through age, earned selection for England Over-70s, playing ‘Grey Ashes’ Tests against Australia, both home and overseas.

A single figure golfer at Corhampton, he spent his entire working career in senior business management at British Gas in Southampton, but he recently lost his battle against dementia, bravely fought, aged 78.

He was a gifted all-round player, good at virtually every ball sport he put his hand to.

As a footballer, he was blessed with a cultured left foot and when he played in a central striking role was hugely effective in the air.

Swain originally cut his teeth in local Sunday soccer as a teenager with Centipedes but, either side of spells as a semi-professional at Andover and later Thorneycroft Athletic, played the bulk of his football at Fareham.

He made over 270 appearances, scoring 103 times.

In four seasons between 1973 and 1977, he twice won Hampshire League championship winners medals and numerous cups.

How fitting it was that, having been a founder playing member of the Centipedes Sunday side back in the 1960s, he should score the winning goal in the 1975 FA national final against Players Athletic on the sloping Wycombe Wanderers surface at Loakes Park.

As a schoolboy, Mike Swain played his early cricket alongside his father Gerry for the Good Intent pub team, scoring a maiden fifty against Fareham, aged just 13.

It wasn’t long before Gosport Amateurs snapped him up and he soon progressed to become a leading figure in the old Southern League.

He finished in 1998 as the third all-time highest run scorer in the competition behind Deanery’s John Harris and Brian White, the South Wilts left-hander.

In league cricket, he made 7,270 runs - no mean feat on the less than batting friendly Privett Park pitches - and was the ninth highest wicket taker with 346 victims.

During his time there, Gosport enjoyed success in national cup competitions, none more so than in 1980 when Swain and his Borough team-mates stepped on to hallowed turf of Lord’s in the final of the John Haig Trophy national club championship, losing by nine wickets to Birmingham League side Moseley.

Swain went on to become a stalwart member of the Hampshire Seniors, initially in the 50s team, then on to the 60s and 70s sides.

As a Seniors stalwart, he scored in excess of 10,000 runs for Hampshire, including 21 centuries - the fourth highest in the country - and 50 half centuries in 176 games, averaging 60.

He also took 62 catches, helping Hampshire win the 70s championships in 2016 and again the following season.

At one stage he was the leading run scorer nationally in Seniors cricket and it was no surprise when he was selected to play for England 70s in ‘Grey Ashes’ Tests.

He played 15 times for England, scoring almost 500 runs for the 60+ & 70+ XIs, averaging 42. Undoubtedly, he would have scored many more had not his cruel illness overtaken him.

Mike Swain’s funeral is at the Portchester Crematorium next Wednesday (1.45pm).