Dick Cassidy, who died suddenly at the weekend aged 65, had a surprisingly short but relatively successful career in the Manx Grand Prix.

After a non-finish in his 1976 debut, he was an impressive eighth in the following year’s Lightweight won by Peter Hickman’s father Dave.

The finishers’ list was full of star quality with Richard Swallow, Clive Watts and Bob Jackson completing the top four. Dick was second local home, 23 seconds behind Kenny Harrison who had also made his debut in the 1976 Lightweight -both aged 23.

Among those they beat in 1977 were future TT winners Con Law and Nick Jefferies.

Sponsored by Ann and George Garrett, then of the Inglewood Hotel on Douglas promenade, Dick’s last Manx was in 1978. But things didn’t go his way with a non-finish in the Junior and 42nd in the Lightweight at a considerably slower speed than his only other finish.

He was a regular at Jurby and also competed well at the Southern 100, but it was at this point that ’Cass’ decided to stop racing - for the time being at least.

In 1981 he ’reluctantly’ took on the position of travelling marshal, initially standing in for veteran TM Jack Harding who had suffered a broken ankle, but full-time from then on for more than 30 years.

He was initially not keen to take on the role as he had not totally written off his hopes of a return to racing, but the demanding roll of TM proved sufficient and he ultimately became chief travelling marshal in 2003 after Des Evans retired.

The role was certainly demanding of his time, as with two weeks each for the TT and Manx, plus another for the Southern 100, it took up most of his holiday allocation.

He stood down as a travelling marshal following the 2012 MGP.

An auto-electrician by trade (he served his time at E. B. Christian’s), Dick was a mechanic for Manx Petroleum for more than 30 years until retiring only three months ago.

A popular and sociable man, Dick leaves a wife Julie, three grown-up children and two grandchildren.

JOHN WATTERSON