WE brought you the sad news in the last couple of weeks of the death of former Keighley RLFC hero Tommy Searle.

But having been kindly provided with an obituary and pictures, we can now pay a proper tribute to the Australian.

Please find Tommy Searle's obituary below:

It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that one of Keighley RLFC’s greatest Australian players, Tommy Searle, has passed away.

Tommy signed for the club at the same time as two other Aussies, Jon Green and Ivan Pascoe, after being recommended to the club by former Test centre Derek Hallas, who had emigrated to Australia to play for one their top clubs, Parramatta.

All three Aussies came from the West Tamworth club in New South Wales.

Tommy made his debut for Keighley on March 1, 1969 at Dewsbury. He played his 30th and final game on March 27, 1971 at Batley. He scored five tries for the club.

Keighley RLFC and their supporters had a great affection for Tommy, along with Pascoe and Green, for the enthusiasm and energy that they brought to the club and the town, with all three becoming local heroes.

Tommy became a close friend of Cougars supremo, Mick O’Neill, and his wife Jackie, both here and when they moved to live in Queensland. He had moved back to that area prior to the O’Neills moving there and helped them settle in Australia.

Tommy became renowned as a player, coach and mentor, driving the campaign to bring an NRL team to the Queensland coast, at Tweed Heads, with the Gold Coast Titans, where his son, Michael, was chief executive.

DAVID INGHAM