FORMER professional footballer, long-time schoolmaster and local councillor Eric Wilkinson has died at his home in Winkton. He was 71.

Mr Wilkinson began his soccer career as an inside forward with Bradford City in his native Yorkshire while still a teenager and later played for Sheffield United before joining Bournemouth in the 1950s.

After quitting the professional game he continued as a player and later manager with several non-league sides including Dorchester, Wareham and Christchurch.

He was the cousin of Sunderland manager Howard Wilkinson.

Mr Wilkinson joined the staff at Homefield School at Winkton in 1956 as head of PE and went on to become resident housemaster and deputy head living in a house he built himself in the school grounds.

As a Conservative member for the Burton and Hurn ward he served for 10 years on Christchurch borough council from 1973 and was at one time chairman of its works committee.

Mr Wilkinson was also a long time member and former chairman of Burton parish council. When he retired from teaching Mr Wilkinson continued his involvement with Homefield as head of maintenance, groundsman and manager of the school's minibus fleet.

He was taken ill just a few weeks ago and diagnosed with cancer to which he succumbed on Friday of last week.

Mr Wilkinson is survived by his widow Eileen, their children Kim and Neil and four grandchildren including granddaughter Abigail, 14, a pupil at Homefield and talented flautist,

Abigail will play a solo during the funeral service at Bournemouth crematorium at midday today when students from Homefield will form a guard of honour.

A memorial service for Mr Wilkinson is planned at Christchurch Priory next month.

Homefield headmaster Tony Partridge who had known Mr Wilkinson throughout his 46 years at the school described him as an absolute stalwart.

"We will miss him tremendously," he said.