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

72 limbering up. The other noticeable difference from modern play would be the fielding side’s ability to average more than 20 Overs per hour. After the game the players would wash at a solitary hand basin, if so inclined. Unlike today’s dressing room which smells like a bordello, there were no fresheners, hair gells or other smelly deodorants, just good old fashioned soap or B.O. On Sunday the players would congregate at the Little Causeway behind the Reid Park Bar (some within it) and a 25 seater bus would take the players to their away fixture. The players’ kit would be put in the boot taking up less room than three of today’s coffins. After a detour to Taylor Street to pick up Scott Balfour, trench coats were hurriedly spread so that the Solo schools could commence. Shouts of “penny” “tuppence” “threepence” went round the bus”. This is a fine evocative piece of writing, but perhaps a few items need explained for the non-Forfar readership. The “cannery” was Lockwood’s Canning factory, and Scott Balfour was Strathmore’s famous supporter who suffered from cerebral palsy and was famous for his tricycle. In addition, Gavin seems to know what a bordello smells like! Not all of us do. 1956 was a significant and memorable year. The British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden did his best to plunge everyone into a World War about Egypt and the Suez Canal, a Dundee boxer called Dick McTaggart won a boxing gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics, and in cricketing terms, Jim Laker took all 10 Australian wickets in the second innings as he spun England to victory at Old Trafford. (He had been less successful in the first innings when he only managed nine!) This feat did a great deal, of course, to popularise spin bowling, and it had the effect of managing to get the whole country talking once again about cricket. In the Strathmore Union, it was Brechin who won the title and the Three Counties Cup, beating the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association in the final, which had been much delayed by bad weather. Indeed, the bad weather was a familiar theme in the 1956 season with many games cancelled because of rain. This did not prevent the 1st XI Championship having an exciting ending, with the re-arranged game at Lochside on Sunday 16th September 1956 between Strathmore and Brechin being effectively the Championship decider. In spite of the late date and the fact that the football season was