Sheffield Cricket Lovers' Society Year Book 2020

5 www.sheffieldcricketlovers.org.uk The Society is immeasurably poorer for the loss of our founder member and Vice President, David Drabble. Although he had been struggling with poor health for a number of years, his passing was still a shock. He was a very keen cricketer, playing for Sheffield United in the Sheffield and Yorkshire Leagues, and I first met David in 1960 at the indoor cricket nets at Bramall Lane. On summer evenings there he would carry a transistor radio so that he could follow Yorkshire’s progress. An amazing organiser with an almost photographic memory, he would respond to my requests for telephone numbers by reeling them off without any reference to his formidable book of contacts! He took the SCLS to another level, organising cricket fixtures and tours around the country. The Devon tour was an amazing logistical feat in that it lasted two weeks, often with two games per day, all of which he arranged himself, along with accommodation for players and families. That lasted for a number of years, albeit later in a reduced format, in addition to the ones to Corfu, France and Germany etc. David wasn’t the pushy type but he was a difficult person to refuse, an ideal trait when it came to generating money for charity. It enabled him to raise considerable sums by organising Dinners, raffles, auctions and so on for a number of years, notably for Abbeydale Sports Club. When David was first taken ill, the committee determined to keep the society going. It is even more important now to continue his legacy. Dorothy continues to do an excellent job and without her efficient dedication we would find it very difficult to produce the quality of programme we have been used to. She also did the spadework in organising our annual Dinner, this time at the Double Tree Hotel whose staff looked after us very well, given that Baldwin’s Omega was a hard act to follow. Roger Scholey and Roger Allum both resigned from the committee this year and I should like to thank them both for their contribution over the years, the latter particularly for writing articles for the yearbooks. We are fortunate to now have Andy Pack - who has many years experience in producing Sheffield United’s programmes - in the role of yearbook editor. Naturally, my thanks go to the remainder of the committee who step up to their various tasks in the most efficient way. May I wish you all the best for the coming year and let’s hope the cricket is as exciting as last season. “...and it is even more important now to continue his legacy.” the Chairman President: Sir Michael Parkinson C.B.E. Vice Presidents: H.B. Stokes; L. Cox; P. Eagar; D.K. Lillee M.B.E.; Dr. N.H. Patel; T.G. Pearson; Sir Tim Rice; D.W. Tunbridge; Mrs Anne Drabble Chairman: David Longley Tel: 07443 613063 chairman@sheffieldcricketlovers.org.uk Vice Chairman: Tim Pickford Tel: 07831 102836 vicechairman@sheffieldcricketlovers.org.uk Honorary Secretary & Treasurer: Dorothy Betts Tel: 07976 308820 dorothybetts@sheffieldcricketlovers.org.uk Accounts Examiner: John Hopkins F.C.A. Year Book Editor: Andy Pack 100 Club Coordinator: A. Jordan Committee: A. Daykin; M.C. Gibson; A. Jordan; Mrs R. Moseley; A. Pack; B. Whitehead and Officers DAVID LONGLEY the committee