Strathmore Cricket Union: the first 90 years a history 1928-2018

14 important step for the future of the game. Anyone who knows anything about the development of the game will know that, in some ways, the 2nd XI are more important than the 1st XI, for although the 2nd XI will always contain a fair sprinkling of “has-beens” or even a “never-waser” or two, there must always be a place for youngsters to grow and develop. That end of season meeting in 1929 was held once again at the New Club in Forfar on Friday 18th October 1929. No-one realised it at the time but what was about to happen in the USA would guarantee mass worldwide unemployment, depression, the rise of Hitler and ultimately another war. All this was triggered by the Wall Street crash of late October 1929 when financial institutions went mad, and everyone around the world suffered. It would take a while for all this to happen, but unemployment was rising relentlessly during the 1930 season. This year it was played with 1st and 2nd XI competitions, and the Champions were once again, to no-one’s great surprise, Brechin who once again managed to win every game that they played, apart from one surprising defeat to Montrose generally reckoned to be one of the weaker teams of the League. Brechin 2nd XI also won the inaugural 2nd XI Championship, something that said a great deal about the all-round strength of cricket in the town. The circumstances of the actual winning of the 2nd XI Championship were odd, however. Meigle 2nd XI, without apparently telling anyone, simply failed to turn up for a game at Guthrie Park, causing more than a little anger among those who had paid money to watch a game. However, there was now a lot of unused tea and sandwiches, so they were shared around! It had been a great year for cricket in the area and had included the opening of the pavilion at Kirriemuir by J M Barrie in a game in which he had invited two of the touring Australians, Arthur Mailey and Charles Macartney to take part. The game on 7th June 1930 attracted a huge crowd, including many who had walked from Forfar and other towns and villages. Some Arbroath and Brechin players had been invited to take part but “reluctantly declined” on the grounds that their two teams were facing each other at Lochlands – a clear and obvious sign of the importance of the Strathmore Union even at this early stage, and also the keen rivalry between Arbroath and Brechin. Another sign was the crowds that gathered outside the shop of J C Robertson in Brechin before the start of the season to see the trophy that was on display there. This was the magnificent new Championship Cup