The Twelfth Man 2020

Image Right: Wombwell’s guest speakers 1970-71, captured by Bob Williams and included in the 1971 edition of The TwelfthMan found a new home and across March and April 1971 the nets took place on Sunday afternoons at the Mexborough Grammar School sports hall. On 1 July 1971 Sir Learie Constantine died. The great West Indian had visit- ed WCLS twice, in 1954 and then again in 1963, when he accepted an invitation to become a Patron. After Sir Learie’s death, Keith Miller succeeded him as a Society Patron. With the coming of decimalisation the 1971 Twelfth Man would have cost you 20p and inside there were contributions from John Arlott, Ronald Mason, ‘Dick’ Whitington, Murray Hedgcock and Alan Gibson among others. The magazine also noted another new Patron with EW Swanton coming into the Wombwell fold. A furious and fast-moving 12-18 months or so then, fifty years ago at the Wombwell! Archive Warner, from Nottinghamshire Mick Newell and Dennis Amiss. A packed crowd on 6 April was enthralled by an evening in the company of cricket author/historian (now Society Patron) David Frith and one of the 1954/55 Ashes heroes, Frank Tyson (later a So- ciety Patron). Still one of WCLS’s very best nights! Later that month a new ‘modern’ fast bowling hero, Yorkshire and England’s Darren Gough, was the Society’s special guest at the Spring Dinner that paid tribute to his exploits on the recent Ashes tour. In June Da- vid Lloyd was at the Royal Hotel, Barns- ley to receive the Society’s new Jack Fingleton Cricket Commentator of the year award (1994) and he was joined by Christopher Martin-Jenkins. A busy autumn of events and speakers got underway in October. Among the late 1995 guests were: Keith Andrew, Michael Parkinson (another Patron of the future), from Lancashire – Peter Sleep and Graham Lloyd, Mark Rob- inson with Worcestershire’s Steve Rhodes and on 17 December a Socie- ty Christmas lunch in support of York- shire beneficiary Ashley Metcalfe. Long-serving chairman Keith Round stepped down from the post after 20- plus years on the stage and reflected on his personal highs and lows in the Society magazine and picked out his favourite speaker meeting – Alan Gib- son on the passionate nature of York- shiremen! The Society’s coaching nets at Darton High School were treated to a visit from Patron Dickie Bird, along with ‘old boys’ Arnie Sidebottom, Alex Mor- ris and Chris Schofield on 19 March. The quartet stayed for two hours and passed on tips and support – a welcome boost for the hardworking coaches and young cricketers that at- tended back then.