The Twelfth Man 2016

16 (aptly described by Martin Howe in his new book as ‘Yorkshire’s Gentleman Cricketer’). Norman, a very long-standing supporter of WCLS, came to Milton Hall, Elsecar, in October of that year to receive the accolade. The 1978 award went to a former Yorkshire Second Eleven player, and captain, Michael Crawford, who played one first- class match in 1951 (against Worcestershire at Scarborough). A chartered accountant by profession he became treasurer of Yorkshire CCC and also served as chairman. Down the years others with strong links to the county club have been similarly honored. Among them scorer Ted Lester, secretary Joe Lister, groundsman Andy Fogarty, Second XI and England U19 scorer Howard Clayton and wicket- keeper Colin Chapman to name a few. Dedicated coaches at Yorkshire and at all age group levels across the county have included Doug Padgett, Steve Oldham, Alan Shaw, Andrew Watson, Stuart Anderson, Ralph Middlebrook and Wombwell’s own Brian Marsh and John Ambler. Those who have served cricket in an administrative role or written about the County’s cricketing history have been duly recognised with the award, some of those being Clifford Smith, Tony Woodhouse, Ian Chappell, Philip Akroyd, Dr Bernard Knowles, Mollie Staines and Derek Hodgson. The dedicated bookstall sellers at Headingley, Geoff Holmes and Vivian Stone, were also recognised and Bob Appleyard received the award on two occasions. Following his death in April 2004 the Society posthumously dedicated the award that year to their Secretary of 53 years, Jack Sokell. Surely no one deserved it more! Wombwell’s Chairman Receives Society’s Yorkshire Award It gives me the very greatest of pleasure to present the Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ Society EH Umbers Award for Services to Yorkshire Cricket 2015, to my friend and colleague, James Greenfield. I got to know James gradually over the years but much more closely when he edited and sub- edited the splendid Yorkshire Post publication, which marked the opening of the Indoor Cricket School at Headingley in 1987 and to which I made a contribution. But it was following the sudden death of our mutual friend, John Featherstone, early in 1998 that we got to know each other very well and began to work together on Yorkshire CCC publications. A few weeks before John’s death, I had agreed to do some media work for Yorkshire and one of my tasks was to try to bring a more professional look to the White Rose magazine which John edited with such zeal and enthusiasm. His death left me with a very difficult problem because as well as not having John around to edit the magazine I also needed someone with a far greater flair for layout than myself to make the White Rose look an attractive publication. I was happy to do much of the writing but knew my limitations on layout. After John’s funeral, mourners repaired to the Indoor Cricket School for refreshments and it was there that I bumped into James who had just retired from The Yorkshire Post . We chatted for a while and then I asked him if he would consider becoming Editor of the White Rose and after mulling things over he quickly came back to me and said ‘Yes’. And James did a magnificent job on the White Rose and The Yorker , right up to the whole operation going ‘in-house’ and gradually fading away. But that is only part of his close involvement with Yorkshire because he also became production editor of the esteemed Yorkshire Yearbook and ever since I succeeded Derek Hodgson as editor in 2009 we have spent more hours working together on it than you will ever imagine. We also each have a seat on the Yorkshire Archives Committee but I am sure you will agree that the task within Yorkshire cricket that James is most committed to is as Chairman of Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ Society. Mick Pope has traced James’ membership of Wombwell right back to the 1973 Twelfth Man and he became the Society’s vice-chairman in succession to Margaret Brayshaw at the 2000 AGM. Following the death of the great Frank Taylor in July 2002, James became chairman and has continued to be so ever since. Let me just quote Mick Pope for a moment. “James has served the Society through some very difficult times with a strong character and clarity of thought that helped keep the Society