The Twelfth Man 2011

11 Strictly Business , recording everything from subscriptions at half a guinea for those 16 and over, to details of ties, blazer badges and scarves, plus Christmas cards. We then get to the cricket: “It was a great pleasure when Mr.John Edrich, the famous young Surrey batsman, elected our outstanding young cricketer of 1959, came to Wombwell to receive the C.B.Fry Memorial Trophy. Latest Cricketer of the Month Awards had gone to Freddie Trueman, Brian Statham, and Roy McLean. All sorts of society activities are recorded, ranging from visits to Lord’s, Slazenger’s at Horbury, and the Barnsley Chronicle , to an evening with South African visitors Dudley Nourse, the manager; Trevor Goddard and Roy McLean. Speakers of the year included Johnny Wardle (showing an MCC in Australia film); Crawford White, Frank Smailes, Geoffrey Howard, J.W.P.Mallalieu MP, Desmond Eagar, Rex Alston Molly Hide, Ron Roberts; a panel of Denis Compton, Reg Simpson, Donald Carr and Michael Melford; Billy Griffith, George Cox, Frank Tyson, Monty Garland-Wells, Dennis Silk and Paul Gibb. Those indeed are names to conjure with. The quality of Wombwell is applauded in a series of greetings from county secretaries, the legendary J.H.Nash of Yorkshire recording: “You members are always so keen and enthusiastic about cricket – especially Yorkshire cricket”. Geoffrey Howard, then at Old Trafford, wrote: “I know from personal experience of the tremendous enthusiasm of your Society, and of the great encouragement you give to cricketers and cricket clubs”. It was not till my newspaper group posted me to London in 1966 that I was able to learn more about this enticing cricket society, and when the Council of Cricket Societies was formed and I became the Australian Society’s delegate, I really got to know just what it means, and what it has achieved. The hard-working Mick Pope has been Wombwell’s delegate for years, and members of smaller societies listen with envy to his accounts of packed programmes. Visitors speak of the warmth and unique, almost family atmosphere of the Society, which clearly remains one of its most enduring and endearing attributes. My regret remains that I have never been to Wombwell – but, perhaps, one day… For now, let me record the heartiest congratulations of The Council of Cricket Societies (a mere 42 years old) to its friends at Wombwell, commend them for their achievements and their major contribution to the game over 60 years, and record fullest confidence that here is a certain century in the making. Public Relations Officer for The Council of Cricket Societies – Murray Hedgcock WOMBWELL MEMORIES Sixty Years of WCLS – Decade-by-Decade 1951 – 60 years ago A small group of cricket enthusiasts (chief amongst them Arthur Johnson, Rev.George Needham and Jack Sokell) gathered together on 3 rd September 1951 at the Sir Georges Arms in Wombwell to greet Yorkshire and England cricketer Johnny Wardle. The Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ Society became a reality! 1961 – 50 years ago The rapidly growing WCLS were meeting regularly at the Horse Shoe Hotel by 1961 and the special guests there during the 1960/61 winter included several well known cricketers: from Lancashire came Jack Ikin, Len Hopwood and Brian Statham (Wombwell’s Cricketer of the Year 1961); from Yorkshire came Bryan Stott, Mike Cowan (today a WCLS Patron) and Fred Trueman, who showed a film on the 1959/60 tour of the West Indies. Australian guests were Cec Pepper and Peter Philpott. The annual 3 a-side Indoor Tourney took place at Wombwell Baths whilst MCC cricketers Dennis Silk and Don Wilson, fresh from their tour of New Zealand, were welcomed to the Sportsmen’s Service. Don received the C.B.Fry Memorial Trophy as Young Cricketer for 1960. 1971 – 40 years ago A copy of The Twelfth Man magazine would have cost you 20p as a non-member and inside Barry Jackson was lamenting the decline of schools cricket in South Yorkshire. The great Australian all-rounder Keith Miller agreed to become a Society patron. Amongst the award winners that year was Arnie Sidebottom – his fielding won him the Peter Walker Trophy. Mexborough Grammar School hosted the Society’s coaching nets and over 50 youngsters attended. Graham Swallow received the Sir Jack