The Cricket Journal of Geoffrey Webb

Grounds for optimism - 1934 There was greater optimism for 193 4 (pages 110 and 111). The Australians were expected, and this normally benefited takings by several hundred pounds; the receipts from Test matches would also be substantially higher than in the previous year when the West Indies were visitors. A small programme of matches for the 2nd XI had been arranged, and H. T. W. Hardinge, the Kent ‘double international’, had been recruited as coach. (page 115) Webb introduced a pre-season supper for players at the ground that was well received, and must have raised morale. The Australian match was a success and the highlight of the season was the August Bank Holiday week victory over Yorkshire. Led for the match by Old Uppinghamian Wing Commander Beisegel, Leicestershire’s win was their first against Yorkshire since 1911. (pages 112 to 114) The background of this win was more disturbing news from the Bank. The Bank manager wanted a scheme to secure the future of the club. The £800 overdraft was secured against the test profits that would be received. Spending cuts were effected by Webb’s assistant Harding being given notice to end his employment on 30th September. Webb was asked to work for £300 a year, with a motorcar allowance of £5 a month, with the support of Prentice (a Yorkshireman qualifying by residence) in the winter. To this he agreed, but asked for his salary to be reviewed in three months time. Hon. Treasurer T. B. C. Thorneloe drew up a budget reducing expenditure each year to £6,000, and on this basis the club was able to complete its fixtures. The head groundsman was sacked, and an emergency meeting was convened to discuss the solution and the need to raise £1,500. Various donations and promises of support were made, and goodwill was certainly the mood of the meeting. Perhaps the most positive long-term decision was to decide that the Nursery Fund and Coach should be separately funded. The committee also decided that Webb’s salary should be increased to £400 a year, though his car allowance was reduced to £50 a year. But more needed to be done and, in their hour of need, Sir Julien Cahn came to the rescue once again. He may not have been the most diligent of committee meeting attenders, but when it came to support of ailing organizations, he was extremely generous. He asked the guarantors to donate the sums guaranteed, and he would pay off the deficit. This they agreed to do, and the club was saved once again. Webb also played some cricket. This included 5 wickets in a second XI fixture against Warwickshire, and a century for Ivanhoe 2nd XI. (page 115 & 117) There is a detailed review of the 1934 season that includes the annual report indicating a more successful year. (pages 118 to 120E) A professional captain - 1935 1935 was a special year. With Leicestershire free of debt by January, they had a successful season with 11 victories under their professional captain, Ewart Astill. It was doubly special for Geoffrey Webb in that he and Iris Thompson announced their engagement in February, and were married in Grantham in September. (page 123A) Geoffrey’s best man was C. S. Dempster, the New Zealand batsman and, at the time, one of the best in the world. Though at one point in the negotiation for his services it seemed that he would work for the club in a ‘promotional capacity’, he eventually agreed to work for Sir Julien Cahn, who would make him available for most matches and allow him to captain the side, an agreement that worked quite well for three years or so. In May, Geoffrey played his second match for Leicestershire, returning to his native county, Kent. Sadly, the match was not a success, a heavy defeat for Leicestershire and two batting failures. (page 121) Leicestershire’s 6th position in the championship was their highest to that point, and never before had they won as many as 11 matches. For most of the summer they were a wholly professional team, captained by their most experienced player. Indeed, appointing a regular captain was one of the recommendations made by Clark’s group in 1933 . (pages 122 to 129) Though gates were up, the loss for the year was £369 (pages 129A to 129G), though donations and over a £1,000 raised at the three-day bazaar in the Edward Wood Hall ensured that there was over £500 in the bank. (page 129C)