Remembering Malcolm Sinclair

Only a few days after the death of Wasps legend Paul 'Judge' Rendall', the Wasps family suffered another huge loss with the news that long-serving team manager and kit man Malcolm Sinclair had died.

Born on Skye, Malcolm came to Wasps after a 30-year career in the Metropolitan Police. He served in SO14, the Royalty Protection Group, before rising to the rank of Inspector at Paddington Green, which was then the centre of the Met's anti-terrorism operations. Injuries suffered during a drug raid forced him to be invalided out of the force.

Wasps were advertising for a first-team manager, Malcolm applied for the job - and the rest, as they say, is history. Although nobody knew it at the time, this was the last fully amateur season. Malcolm became the club's first full-time professional and went on to loyally serve it for twenty years.

His annual mileagewas astronomical, as he drove across Britain andEurope in the kit van, usually accompanied by his 'little helper' Mike Ireland, better known as Tree. Wherever they went, they could be guaranteed to find a bar or café where he would happily recount jaw-dropping tales from his police days, as well as inside accounts of the foibles of our favourite players. He often said that he would have enjoyed the drive to Romania, but the European draws never gave him the chance to experience that adventure.

He left Wasps after the move to Coventry in 2014 and immediately found a job in the refereeing department of the RFU.With homes in Kent as well as his native Skye, his mileage remained high, as he worked as the official timekeeper at Premiership and European games. Did this proud Scot ever feel uncomfortable wearing an official RFU blazer, complete with the red rose of England?

He was part of the Wasps furniture. Always accessible to fans, whom heenjoyed entertaining with his dry sense of humour and considerable skills as a raconteur. He was one of those people who seemed to have been around for ever, even after he had left the club. Heand his partner Jane often turned up to support his old charges at away games in Europe. He leaves a huge hole in the Wasps family and in the game at large. Our thoughts and condolences go toJane and all his friends and family.