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

83 CHAPTER SIX STRATHMORE - THE BEST TEAM EVER? It could well be argued that the Strathmore team of the 1960s was the best team that the Union ever saw. They won the Championship every year from 1962 to 1972 inclusive, with the exception of 1965 when they lost out to the excellent Blairgowrie side of that year who beat them both home and away, and narrowly won the Championship. Otherwise Strathmore reigned supreme and for those who were privileged to watch them, it was indeed a joy. Lochside Park on a summer day is at any time a pleasant experience. When someone like Nigel Hazel was batting, or Neil Prophet and George Myles were bowling, one had the bonus of seeing Scottish cricket at its best. The winning of 10 championships out of 11 was not the only mark of success. The 2nd XI was regularly successful as well, the Three Counties Cup was won frequently and on two occasions, they reached the final of what is now called the Scottish Cup, winning it against Kilmarnock in 1971, after losing to Ferguslie in 1969. The secret of success was that it was a community based club with, for example, everyone willing, if possible, to put back their holidays until September so that they could see the season out. The best players were always available, and the wives, a very supportive bunch, went with their husbands. Seldom were more than about 15 or 16 players deployed from one end of the season to the other, and the players all knew each other. Another indication of how good they were came in the large crowds that they attracted. Lochside Park is hardly in the centre of the town, yet on a Sunday (and they were wise enough to arrange at least the big local derbies against Arbroath and Brechin on a Sunday, when they were likely to get a larger crowd as hardly anyone worked on a Sunday) there was a general movement westwards to see them. Memories remain of large crowds, (at least in the early 1960s) friendly arguments with the supporters of visiting teams, many ice cream vans and the bar doing a roaring, although possibly illegal trade. Alcohol was meant to be sold to “Members Only”, but the term was applied elastically. Exclusivity agreeably on some occasions gave way to the profit motive! With the obvious exception of Nigel Hazel, they were all Forfar born and bred, and they were proud of their town, as indeed the town was proud