If a legacy is planting seeds in a garden you never get to see, Ian Cockbain leaves behind a rainforest whose roots stretch across a whole sporting community.

His sudden death on September 2, at the age of 64, devastated Merseyside cricket; his funeral, being held today, could have filled a cathedral.

As it is, it’s being streamed online, with gatherings at Firwood Bootle and Formby – the two Love Lane Liverpool Competition clubs Cockbain graced with his presence over more than 40 years.

But his impact spread far wider – into the foundations of the game itself in our region.

Most obviously, there’s his son, Ian Jnr, enjoying an Indian summer to his own cricketing career, winning the Hundred this year with Trent Rockets after helping Adelaide Strikers reach the BBL final last winter.

Ian Jnr, known affectionately as ‘Mini’ given his resemblance to his dad, played alongside him for many years at Wadham Road before his professional career took him to Gloucestershire and beyond.

He said: “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. 

“I count myself very lucky to have played with him for such a long time.

“He was ultra-aggressive on the field, there was never a backward step.

“He’d much rather lose a game trying to win it than hang on for a draw – a lot of teams have adapted to play that way.

“That’s definitely something I’ve tried to adapt into my career. I haven’t had a lot of chances to captain in the professional game, but whenever I have I’ve always taken that aggressive option rather than being passive.”

The way he played his cricket then is a template for what gets played now

Mike Beaver

Everyone has a story to tell about this founding father of the modern Comp.

Wallasey chairman Mike Beaver began his playing career when Cockbain’s Bootle were carrying all before them – winning 10 league titles among 39 trophies in 22 seasons.

“Everyone looked up to him,” he said.

“The way he played his cricket was a benchmark for everyone – really positive and aggressive.

“The way he played his cricket then is a template for what gets played now – the mantra of batting first, getting the runs and getting off. 

“It’s a unique league – there are many debates over the benefits of declaration cricket, and a lot of the virtues of what this league is about are embedded in what he created at Bootle and how he showed the rest of the league to play.”

He was brilliant at making you feel like you were the best player on the pitch

Tom Mills

After retiring in 2008, Cockbain was persuaded by his good friend, Charles Mills, to come out of retirement at Formby. With Cockbain as captain and Mills as president, the club won promotion from Division One in 2014 – they’ve been in the Prem since.

Mills’ son, Tom, is now chairman at Cricket Path and played under Cockbain during their promotion push.

He said: “He was the life and soul of everything. 

“Any social event, he was the organiser; any cricket match, he was the one holding court at the bar after the game.

“He was influential on the pitch and off the pitch.

“He came out of retirement to, in his words, get us back on the map.

“I was lucky enough to play under him for about three years. 

“He would control games with field placings and manipulate games – he would have no interest in drawing games of cricket unless he really had to. 

“He’d say to us in the changing rooms: ‘Right, we’re going to score 220 off 30 overs, then we’re going to declare.’

“He was just so positive – a team would need five runs to win, two down and he still made you believe we could win the game.

“And he was brilliant at making you feel like you were the best player on the pitch.”

Is this league as competitive and as attractive as it is because of Coey? There’s every chance

Chris Cunningham

Another who can testify to his man-management skills is Chris Cunningham – currently Southport & Birkdale captain, but for many years a player during the autumn years of Cockbain’s time at Bootle.

He said: “It was Ian Cockbain’s Bootle that I grew up watching, and he gave me my first glimpse into what was required. 

“He was a celebrity in the local cricket community and he set the standard – from back in the 70s and 80s, to when I was playing. 

“As you get older, you understand what a legacy he’s left on this league – how many captains and clubs look back at his tenure and say Coey did it this way, or Coey did it that way.

“I think it’s ridiculous that one man could have such an influence but he did. Is this league as competitive and as attractive as it is because of Coey? There’s every chance.”

Beaver had a ringside seat this year as his son, Greg, led Wallasey to the title following the Cockbain blueprint.

He added: “His tactics, and the way he showed the game should be played, is how we’ve tried to play it.

“That’s been the template that Greg has grown up with, being driven into him from me and from other people at the club. From the mid 90s, that’s been the way we’ve played our cricket.

“It’s not all been sweetness and light but as a club it’s the way we want to play and a lot of that goes back to how I grew up watching Bootle. 

“He showed how a good side should play in a declaration league.”

As a batter, Cockbain topped 1,000 runs in a season four times and racked up more than 30,000 across his long club career.

There were higher honours, too – mostly for Cheshire, after he was released by Lancashire in 1983. During 11 years as captain, he won the MCCA Knockout at Lord’s in 1996 and a share of the 2001 Minor Counties Championship.

In the days when touring sides would actually tour, Cockbain made 70 against Shane Warne and co in 1993, and played a match-winning knock for the Minor Counties XI again World Cup winners Pakistan the year before.

But it’s in the club game where his story will echo through the ages. 

Mills Snr recalls a relegation scrap in which Cockbain marched his team to the boundary in protest against some unhelpful umpiring; his son chuckles at the memory of a rainy afternoon at Wavertree, when he and a team-mate were sent to a local carpet shop for some offcuts to dry up the square.

Cockbain’s side won both games, obviously.

It was amazing the impact he had on people

Ian Cockbain Jnr

Beaver added: “He was obviously a fantastic player. The stats speak for themselves on that. 

“But he was genuinely an outstanding captain as well.”

Cunningham said: “You can see how far his influence stretched in that there’s people now who weren’t involved in cricket when Ian was playing, but they talk about him. 

“It’s amazing that one man can have such an influence on so many people.” 

Proudly bearing his dad’s name, Ian Jnr will continue to spread his legacy around the world. He’s heading to Australia this winter to play league cricket, with a view to getting another replacement gig in the BBL, before turning his eyes to Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

He said: “He loved coming to watch – and for me to break into the franchise scene last year, which is something he was always on my case about.

“Everyone respected him hugely. It’s been amazing listening to these stories over the past few weeks about how people would go into battle for him. 

“It was amazing the impact he had on people.”

• The ceremony starts from 2pm; to view online, go to watch.obitus.com/pataNR, using username dibi3268 and password 765941.