He was mentored by the resident Yorkshire opening bowlers, Fred Trueman and Tony Nicholson, who took over 2800 wickets between them for the county and following Fred Truemans retirement in 1968 he became Nicholsons opening new ball bowling partner.
'Chilly' (so known because he appeared on the scorecard as "C.Old") subsequently took the Yorkshire captaincy in 1981, but it was not a happy period.