TRIBUTE has been paid to a former Barnoldswick footballer renowned his goal-scoring abilitiies.

David Charles Wilson died at Pendleside Hospice. He was 65.

Mr Wilson was born in Skipton on April 9, 1949, and grew up in the town.

He went to West Craven High School and then married Barbara Parker, from Barnoldswick, in 1969.

As a young man, Mr Wilson served as an apprentice engineer at Weston in Foulridge.

He later moved to Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick, retiring in 2001 at the age of 52.

Outside of work, Mr Wilson was best known for his footballing and running skills.

He played for Barnoldswick Park Rovers as well as teams in Gisburn, Nelson and a semi-pro side in Clitheroe.

"He even had a trial as a goalkeeper for Nat Lofthouses's Bolton Wanderers in 1971 at the age of 15," said Mrs Wilson. "Because he didn't grow, he ended up scoring a lot of goals as 'tricky' left winger.

"After football, he became a runner and once ran a marathon from Preston to Morecambe in two hours and 22 minutes."

When he retired, Mr Wilson and his wife travelled extensively, visiting countries such as Brazil, China, Russia and the United States.

He was also an avid reader and owned more than 1,000 books.

Mr Wilson is survived by his wife, Barbara, children Tara and Justin and grandchildren Shannon, Kian and Rachael.

A funeral for Mr Wilson was held at Skipton Crematorium.