The following photographs, press cuttings, advertisements, information and statistics are all available to view and download off the internet.

A wee bit of time and patience with your research, together with copious amounts of coffee and John Player Special cigarettes, you too could go on a journey of discovery that gives you an insight to the that has been lost and the current cricket that could be lost in the very near future.

My thanks to the following databases for their information.

North Council Archives

Over the last 25 years, the cricket that we have grown up with, knew and loved has changed.

The Western Union has merged with the League, the Scottish Counties championship has folded, the Strathmore Union has merged with the Perthshire league and the East of Cricket Association has picked up all the waifs and strays.

The Scottish National Cricket League arrived and the security of a centenary of tradition changed. For the better? I will leave you to make up your own minds on that question.

The Western District Cricket Union currently has 32 clubs that play Saturday cricket (61 teams). Add the 5 evening/Sunday League clubs, the total becomes 37 clubs in all.

1) Active Life 2) Ardrossan 3) Bute County 4) Galloway 1) Ayr 5) GHK 2) Clydesdale 6) Glasgow Accies 3) Drumpellier 7) GU Staff 4) Dumfries 1) BBC Scotland 8) Hamilton 5) East Kilbride 2) Clyde 9) Helensburgh 6) Ferguslie 3) Fire Service 10) 7) Greenock 4) GU Biologists 11) Inverclyde 8) Kelburne 5) Queens Park 12) Irvine 9) Poloc 13) Kilmarnock 10) Renfrew 14) Motherwell 11) Uddingston 15) Prestwick 12) Weirs 16) Scot Indians 13) West of Scotland 17) St Michaels 18) Vale of Leven 19) Victoria 25 years ago in the west, we had a strong Western Union with three separate championships therein. The junior sections were flourishing and loads of talented youngsters were emerging into their first teams. The was dominated by the Western Union. The inter District championship was dominated by the West. The Cockspur Cup was normally won by the West.

The Glasgow League was in its full pomp. Clubs were emerging that were giving the Western Union sides a challenge in cup competition. Prestwick were to the fore with Irvine and NKOA right behind them.

But it started to go horribly wrong, and in many cases, terminal.

Why?

Scottish Cup 1981: Drumpellier 1982: Drumpellier 1983: Ferguslie Glasgow & District League 1984: Poloc 1981: Prestwick 1985: Clydesdale 1982: Prestwick 1986: Aberdeenshire 1983: Prestwick 1987: Clydesdale 1984: Irvine W D C U 1988: Clydesdale 1985: NK/OA 1981: Poloc 1989: West of Scotland 1986: Irvine 1982: Greenock 1987: Irvine 1983: Poloc 1988: Irvine 1984: Greenock 1989: Irvine 1985: Poloc 1986: Greenock 1987: Drumpellier 1988: West of Scotland 1989: Greenock Cast your mind back 25 years and remember some of the clubs that you may have played against.

Can you name 10 that are no more? How about 15? 20? Surely there cannot be more than 20 that have folded?

Anchor, Jerviswood, Old Grammarians, Kilmacolm, Clydebank, Lennox, Eaglesham, Rolls Royce, North , Old Aloysians, Babcocks & Wilcox, Bishopbriggs, Alan Glenns FP, , Milngavie & Bearsden, Kelvinside Academicals, Woodhall, Dunlop, Hillend, Scotts, Greenock Wanderers, Ardeer, Cumbernauld, Lenzie, Thornliebank, and that is just some of the teams that played Saturday cricket.

When you add all the midweek teams, the number of folded clubs increases again.

Why? A B C D E Alan Glenn’s Beith Cambuslang Rugby Club Drumley Eaglesham Anchor Park Carrick (Girvan) Dumbartonshire Eastwood Ardeer Belmont House Bishopbriggs Cartha Dumbarton Eglinton Ardrossan High Bishopton Clydebank Dunlop Erskine Argyll Street G Crookston Dumfries Academy Ayr at Cambusdoon Garrowhill Cumbernauld Dumfries & District Ayr Old Racecourse H F Greenock Academy HMS Gannet at Monkton, Dundonald Camp, Dundonald Castle Fenwick Hillend J Hoover Cambuslang I Jerviswood Hutchesons’ Grammar School at Inchinnan (at the College) Hyndland at N K L M Netherpollok Keil Academy - both squares Lanark (Racecourse) Marr College NKOA at Kelvinside at Balgray Largs Mearns Castle High School North Kelvinside at Huntershill Kilbirnie Lennox Mearnskirk Kilmacolm O Lenzie Motherwell at Home Park Old Grammarians Kilmarnock at Kirkstyle Lenzie Rugby Club Kilmarnock Academy Lenzie High School S P Lochinch (Glasgow Police Ground) Academy Paisley Grammar School R Southern General Hospital Phoenix (Ferguslie Park) Renfrew at Moorcroft , Robertson Park, Park W Park(Burrell) Richmond Park St Aloysuis College West Kilbride Pollok Park (Nethercraigs) Rolls Royce Stepps Whitecraigs Rugby Club Strachur T (Hillington Haugh/Bairds Meadow) Strathclyde at Stepps Thornliebank at 6 grounds Rouken Glen Park Williamwood High School Strathclyde Park Woodfarm V Royal Torpedo (Argyll Park) Woodhall Victoria Park Glasgow Herald – Cricket 22 Jun 1991

TODAY International -- Ireland v Scotland (Dublin).

Scottish County Championships – Clackmannan County v West Lothian, Stirling County v Aberdeenshire, Strathmore County v Fifeshire, Perthshire v Ayrshire, Arbroath County v Forfarshire.

D M Hall Western Union -- Kilmarnock v Drumpellier, Clydesdale v Kelburne, Ayr v West of Scotland, Ferguslie v Greenock, Uddingston v Poloc.

Glasgow and District League. Division 1 -- Glasgow Academicals v Irvine, Glasgow High Kelvinside v East Kilbride, Giffnock North v Vale Of Leven, Motherwell v Hillhead, NKOA v Milngavie and Bearsden.

Division 2 -- Greenock Wanderers v Victoria Park Taverners, Old Grammarians v Helensburgh, Prestwick v Ardrossan, Strathclyde v Hyndland, Weirs v Renfrew.

Division 3 -- Cumbernauld v Bishopbriggs, Inverclyde v Jerviswood, Rolls Royce v Hillend, Woodhall v Garrowhill.

The Clydeside industrial heritage clubs such as Albion Motors, Anchor, Barclay Curle, Barr and Stroud, Harland and Wolfe, Rolls-Royce, Royal Torpedo, Chrysler and Scotts of Greenock are all gone.

Weirs are the last of that generation of club, and their future is also uncertain. Eleven for All photographed by Duncan Brown, probably 1880s or 1890s. Brown photographed a cricket match on open ground off Great Western Road. The ground was at Burnbank, which was the home of Glasgow Academicals Football Club and briefly (in 1875) of Glasgow Rangers FC. All-England Elevens were frequent visitors to Scotland in the 1880s and 1890s, to play cricket teams such as West of Scotland and Clydesdale. In 2011, Hillhead are hoping to be able to use Birkmyre Park in Kilmacolm for 12 weeks of the season, but the priority has to be:

(a) Will they return to Hughenden? (b) If not, can they permanently re-locate to Birkmyre Park? (c) Are we witnessing yet another death of an established cricket club?

In the Luftwaffe aerial photograph above, is circled in white, Hughenden is in yellow and Balgray is in red.

In 2011, Hamilton Crescent will be the only ground to have senior cricket played at it. A group of gentlemen suitably attired to represent Glasgow in the annual inter-city cricket match against Edinburgh in 1873. The match, which was played at the West of Scotland Cricket Cub ground at Hamilton Crescent, , was drawn.

At one time, the inter-city match (played each year from 1872 until 1894) was regarded as one of the highlights of the Scottish cricket season. A good crowd was assured, which raised revenue to help develop the sport. Over the years, honours were fairly even between the teams, but disputes over the introduction of professionalism finally killed off the fixture.

Sounds familiar? Golfhill Cricket Club was in . It was apparently the finest cricket square in Scotland and there was a huge public outcry when the Glasgow Corporation folded the club as they required the land to build Whitehill Secondary School.

Horace Wass was probably the most famous player Golfhill had. He had been a professional footballer for Chesterfield. As one of the club's most significant players, Horace was awarded two benefit matches, the first, in 1929-30 against Sheffield Wednesday and the second against Hearts in 1935- 1936. Horace was also a professional cricketer and played for Hill and then West of Scotland during the The club was a cricketing oasis in the desert of the east end 1930s and was capped once by of Glasgow and the void left by the forceable closure of the Scotland against the South club has never been filled. Africans, in 1935. In 1929,

The players went on to join other clubs, such as Fred Horace made one appearance Leatherby who went to West of Scotland and Tommy for Derbyshire County Cricket Robertson who went to Poloc. Club, scoring nine runs against Glamorgan. New houses built by Glasgow Corporation at , pictured in 1925 as they were nearing completion. The buildings include semi-detached and terraced houses and cottage flats, all limited to two storeys.

Knightswood was Glasgow's largest housing scheme, with a total of 6,714 houses built on both sides of Great Western Road from 1923. Four new shopping centres, eight churches and six schools were also provided. Amenities included a nine hole golf course, pitch and putt greens, tennis courts and football and cricket grounds. Richmond Park had a cricket ground within its setting.

It was surrounded with bushes and trees and the pitch had a grass square until the mid 1980’s when it was replaced with an all-weather astro-turf wicket.

There were changing facilities and it was a reasonable venue to play at.

However, here we have an example of yet another facility that has been removed thus depriving the “nomadic” players of the cricketing community of a ground. How can the players of these “groundless” teams develop to then go on to become clubs?

How can the sport of cricket be progressed when local authorities seem to be hell bent on closing facilities that were available for many years and engendered sport to be participated in by the denizens of the city? Hyndland and Victoria no more

Six cricket grounds in close proximity, but only three now remain in late 2010

Westerland Playing Fields Garscube House Advertisement in Glasgow University "The Cricketing Belt" made by Wilson, Matheson & Co, clothing Magazine 21 May manufacturers, illustrated in the firm's wholesale and export trade 1924 for cricket and list of c 1872. tennis wear available The brace department on the first floor of the warehouse at 42 from the outfitters R Glassford Street produced a variety of boys' and men's braces and W Forsyth. belts in rubber, cotton and wool, at prices ranging from 1/3d (just over 6p) to 24 shillings (£1.20) per dozen. When you look at cricket in the west and the problems arising, you have to consider the following: a) Licensing changes - cricket clubs were also drinking dens. Venues to get a swally when the pubs were closed. Clubs had huge memberships up until the mid 1970's, indicative of the changing licensing laws. b) The Munn & Dunning Report in the mid 1980s effectively removed extra-curricular sport in the schools and cricket was the major casualty. c) Playing fields started to be sold off to property developers and the likes of Asda, Tesco etc. d) Sports such as hockey, rugby and football are now mainly turn up, play for an hour and a half, get changed, possibly share a pint of orange and water with ten straws for team-mates and then bugger off to do whatever else is organized/arranged. e) The standard of living has changed and disposable income, cars, holidays abroad, internet, mobile phones, have resulted in far greater choices and interests being available to people than previously. You now have the situation, especially with the current demands of the game, youngsters will probably prefer quaffing Buckfast all day and then podgering some fat, fake tanned, besozzled trufflehunter than playing cricket. The others, not as fortunate to be doing some podgering, will either be on their mobile phones or having "slaughterfests" cleaving whatever on a computer game. f) Stupidity on the part of club members has led to the downfall of clubs. Bertie Mellis of Dumbartonshire (Milngavie and Bearsden) fought tooth and nail to safeguard the interests of cricket at Auchenhowie, but the other sections got their way and the cricket was firstly ostracised, then starved of investment and ultimately folded.

Kelburne's existence as a cricket club is probably down to the determination of Donald McNair Senior in seeing off the challenge of the squash and hockey sections. Nearly 30 years have elapsed since, but he probably saved cricket at Whitehaugh for new generations to enjoy. Sounds familiar? It has happened to clubs that we played, who have folded as a result of indifference, apathy, disinterest and worst of all, complacency. Not every club has a Bertie Mellis or Donald McNair. Or indeed an Alec Simpson, Mike Stanger, Keith Young or a Malcolm McLean. There are many other aspects that you can add to the list that have all had a detrimental effect of the game, but the recent attempts to “summer season” rugby, football and hockey will ultimately be the death knell of .

The pseudo-intelligent life-forms that profess to be knowledgeable, haven’t a scoobie about the importance of Scottish cricket clubs and the parts they have played in the formation and founding of football and rugby. The first internationals were played on Scottish cricket grounds, the first Scottish FA cup final was between cricket clubs, the Scottish Football League was formed by the members of Clydesdale and Queens Park cricket clubs.

The cricket pavilion at Hampden was replaced in 1878 by the purchase, at a cost of £65, of the Caledonian Cricket Club's pavilion, which was taken down and reconstructed at Hampden at a cost of £84.

This same pavilion was then sold to Hampden Bowling Club and is still the centre part of the current clubhouse.

Here’s a thought or two for you all to consider. Cricket at grassroots level requires investment/funding to be able to go into schools etc to provide access to cricket. The initiatives such as TopClub are great tools to condition clubs to be able to establish a decent junior infrastructure that will hopefully provide the same clubs with their players of tomorrow. However, to deliver these initiatives, there has to be funding available.

Coaching courses, first aid courses, child protection courses etc are dependent on volunteers giving up their free time to attend, possibly paying for the courses, and then being in place to deliver junior remits whilst maintaining and improving the existing facilities. A familiar story the length and breadth of the country. We all try our best and hope to get by.

But will there still be cash in the pot when we apply? Dunbartonshire Cricket Clubs

Shettleston Milngavie & Bearsden Strathblane

Lenzie Dumbarton Allan Glens Keil

Lennox Garrowhill Cricket Club Glasgow East rugby club (a relatively new) club based in the east end of Glasgow have ambitious plans for re developing Barrachinnie Park (where Garrowhill Cricket Club were based). Included within their plans would be to try and re establish the cricket ground at Barrachinnie, by doing so they will open up a lot of different grant money for their plans.

Glasgow East have been quite active locally in gaining the necessary political support and have approached for assistance however the project appears to have stalled since then.

The re-introduction of cricket in East Dunbartonshire has been a discussion point for around 3 years now, but nothing seems to have happened. There has been some interest but the vehicle has appeared to have stalled.

I think we ALL should be helping push this vehicle back onto the road and jump-starting it again for its journey. Ayrshire Cricket Clubs Dundonald

Dunlop All that remains at Dunlop is the scoreboard.

The grass is over 2 feet tall.

The ground is now simply an unkempt field

Ardeer Here are three cricketing venues in Ayrshire that have also been lost. Drumly School Drumly School was an independent boarding school just outside Ayr. They played against the other independent schools.

Sorn Castle had a cricket ground, complete with pavilion.

Marr College played cricket up to the early 1990s.

Marr College (1969)

Sorn Castle Eglinton

Eglinton Cricket Club was to be found situated between Irvine and Kilwinning.

It played “Invitational” matches.

Set in the grounds of the Eglinton Castle Estate, it had its own clubhouse, net facilities and employed a professional.

Community coaching was a major aspect of this club. It engaged the local community and the local community engaged it. A familiar sounding concept that seems to be a part of recently issued Cricket Scotland documentation. The black and white photograph above is from 1902. Dumfries & Galloway Cricket Clubs

Lady Stewart Park in Stranraer 1941

Kippford 1927 BuccleuchBuccleuch Estate Estat 1902

Dumfries & District 1890 Tynron 1922 Lanarkshire Cricket Clubs

Millerston at Stepps.

Home to Old Aloysians, then the amalgam of North Kelviside known as NKOA and until recently, Cumbernauld.

No cricket was played at Millerston in 2010.

Stepps

The black and white photos show cricket at Stepps in the early 1900s. The aerial photo shows the ground, home to Strathclyde University and no-one else. Hamilton Cricket Club (1934)

There may be a Hamilton Cricket Club in 2010, currently playing on astro-turf in Division 3 of the WDCU, but there was a grass pitch playing club operating in the area over 70 years ago. What happened to it? What caused its demise? North Lanarkshire Council Archives

Gartloch Hospital Cricket score book, 1914-1916.

In The National Archives For Scotland database, the entry listing for Woodhall Cricket Lanark Cricket Club (Lanark Race Course) Club is concise, informative and fairly blunt, almost brutal, in summing up the history of this club:

“The Woodhall Cricket Club was founded in 1887 by the foreman of Woodhall Quay (William Gilchrist), his sons and various others.

Initially they played at Neuk Park, Faskine. Later they moved to Faskine School House Park.

In 1898 they moved to Maggie's Haugh, Woodhall Estate, Calderbank, near Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, where they have remained ever since.

The club was still in existence for its centenary in 1987, but folded some time shortly after that.” Renfrewshire Cricket Clubs Anchor Cricket Club Old Grammarians Cricket Club

In the aerial photo, you can see the cricket square at Allanton, final home of respected club, Old Grammarians.

You can also see the astro-turf wicket clearly marked for future games.

The loss of this facility, along with the club, is nothing more than shocking, completely unacceptable and detrimental to the future playing of cricket in the west. Old Grammarians Cricket Club Jerviswood Cricket Club

The demise of Jerviswood Cricket Club at Seedhill is a “casualty” that irritates me personally as a cricketer, as I owe the venue for giving me my start in senior cricket.

In 1984, aged 18, I had never played in a “competitive” 1st team game for Clydesdale.

Clydesdale 3rd’s were playing Jerviswood at Seedhill in the first Saturday game of the season.

I took 5 wickets for 17 runs in the game, and later on, back at , after a selection committee meeting, I was picked to go Seedhill with Whitehaugh to the north to Mannofield the next day and play for Clydesdale 1st X1 in the Scottish Cup. Kilmacolm Cricket Club

Kilmacolm Cricket Club operated out of Birkmyre Park and slowly faded away to non- existence.

The venue has been used by various “nomadic” teams who, being groundless themselves, have utilised the facility for their various games.

St Columba’s High School are apparently using the facility for cricket during the summer term for about 6 Saturdays, but 2011 may see the ground being used by Hillhead Cricket Club as they address their temporary ‘eviction’ from Hughenden. Fereneze Cricket Club (Barrhead) 1936 The really depressing aspect of researching and compiling the list of the lost grounds that I am aware of, is when the reality of how many grounds, clubs and teams that have expired strikes home.

Off the top of my head, I can name the following East Renfrewshire ground casualties as:

Belmont Huntly Braidbar Eastwood Roukenglen The loss of grounds, clubs and teams in East Renfrewshire is baffling. One of the most Woodfarm affluent local authority areas in the UK, let alone Scotland, and there is not a single Crookfur game of organised adult cricket being played therein. Waterfoot Road Eaglesham There are a number of “Introduction to Cricket” initiatives operating throughout the Mearnskirk primary and secondary schools, and they are a result of Weirs Cricket Club liaising with Williamwood the ‘Active Schools’ system, going into the schools and introducing a pilot scheme that Mearns Castle evolved and led to Cricket Scotland conveniently adopting it as their own concept and Overlee forming a major aspect of current policy. Stanalane

That’s a laugh and a half. “Very good and well done” is the sarcastic response to that. Giffnock North Grounds in the Greenock area Lady Octavia Park Wellington Park Rankin Park Parklea , Port Glasgow.

At one time there were 10 teams in Greenock & District alone: Greenock (Glenpark) RNTF[Phoenix] Scotts [Inverclyde] (Battery Park), Ingleston (Wellington Park), Octavia & Hillend (Lady Octavia Park), Port Glasgow (Parklea), IBM (Gourock Park), Greenock Accies (Fort Matilda), Rankin Park Victoria (Rankin Park) The three grounds, away from Glenpark, of course, were:

1. Fort Matilda: Greenock Wanderers, Hillend and Greenock Accies 2. Gourock Park: IBM, Hillend and now Inverclyde 3. Battery Park: Royal Naval Torpedo Factory (RNTF), Torpedo Experimental Establishment (T.E.E), Phoenix (who rose from their ashes!) Scotts (who became Inverclyde). Other cricket grounds were:

Parklea in Port Glasgow: Port Glasgow CC.

Lady Octavia Park, Greenock: Hillend and Octavia CCs.

Wellington Park, Greenock: Ingleston CC.

Rankin Park, Greenock: Rankin Park Victoria.

Inverclyde, Largs: Largs CC Bellahouston Park

In September 2010, work finally commenced on the construction of a £600,000 six grass wicket square and astro-turf pitch facility and it is expected to be ready for use from the start of the 2013 season.

At last, a new venue being created inside the Glasgow boundary that New Pitch provides an opportunity for the “homeless” B teams such as Victoria and Active Life to have a place of their own and establish themselves as clubs, not just within the A WDCU, but on a pathway to bigger and better cricket in Scotland. Hurrah!

Cricket in Bellahouston Park is not a new concept though. As a child, I lived beside the park and I can clearly remember cricket matches taking place. There were two pitches, one adjacent to the high-rise flats at Road (A) and a pitch on the grass inside the running track at the sports centre (B). Venues in Pollok Estate

1

2

3

Cartha Cricket Club 4

5

In a cricketing sense, when Pollok Estate is mentioned, one naturally thinks of . However, Pollok Estate was/is home to a number of cricket venues, most of which are now sadly lost: 1. Cartha. (Cricket Athletic Rugby Tennis Hockey Association) 2. & 3. Bellahouston Academy School pitches. 4. Pitch at Craigholme School playing fields. 5. Pitch where the Burrell Collection now stands. In the adjacent photograph, the astro-turf pitch at Netherpollok is circled.

A large playing area with an all-weather wicket laid out between various football pitches.

Glasgow City Council providing a municipal facility to hire. The only problem though, it is only available for about 8 weeks because of football, is poorly maintained and the carpet is always in need of repair.

From reports of various visiting teams, one can sometimes find yourself fielding in the outfield, knee-deep in litter and dog excrement, oh, and the changing facilities have to be negotiated to remain available after 5.00pm on a Saturday.

Value for money at a £100.00 a let then? The Luftwaffe seemed to have a fascination with aerial photography of cricket grounds in Glasgow.

Obviously the spirit of the game, fair play, sportmanship, camaraderie, etiquette etc appealed to them.

Seriously, in 1941, there were 7 venues in close proximity to each other.

70 years on, the venues are still extant, but only two of them are now used. My personal favourite Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photograph is the one above. was the site of a barrage balloon battery, the purpose of which was to protect Crossmyloof railway station. The photograph also shows the cricket pitch on the playing fields at Shawlands Academy. Can the West really make a difference and stop the demise of clubs, teams and facilities? Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Geographical locations of former grounds in East Renfrewshire

Braidbar

Woodfarm Huntly Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Overlee Park

Belmont

Broomburn Drive

Waterfoot Road Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Belmont

Crookfur Pavilion

Broomburn Drive Waterfoot Road Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 1 - Woodfarm Pavilion Playing Fields

This area has the potential to be a superb municipal cricket facility. With its proximity to primary and secondary schools already engaged in various cricket initiatives, this area would be ideally placed for the import of a club to develop and continue ongoing activities and providing a local club to feeder schools. Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 1 - Woodfarm Pavilion Playing Fields Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction Venue 2 - Huntly Playing Fields

This area was a cricketing venue until about 10 years ago. There were 3 pitches - 2 grass wickets and an all- weather Astroturf pitch, the remains of which can still be seen in the large grass area. There is potential for 2 cricket pitches here, and like the Woodfarm site, is close to feeder primary and secondary schools Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 2 - Huntly Playing Fields

In the 360 degree vista sweep above, the size of the pitch possibilities at Huntly can be truly comprehended.

From the centre of the existing Astroturf wicket in pitch 1, the boundary is 100 yards in any direction. A portacabin dressing room for pitch 1 could be installed on a temporary basis for the duration of the cricket season. For pitch 2, the same could be deployed. Pitch 2 has the potential for an Astroturf wicket to be installed, but would obviously require negotiation with East Renfrewshire Council. Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 3 - Braidbar Playing Fields ()

Braidbar was home to Thornliebank Cricket Club until the late 1980’s. Thornliebank decanted here from Stanalane Park (now the driving range at Roukenglen Golf Club) and were then shunted around other venues in East Renfrewshire until folding in the early 1990’s. Thornliebank Cricket Club had a huge junior section comparable to the likes of Clydesdale Cricket Club. It drew its members from the local secondary schools, such as Williamwood and Woodfarm, and primary schools such as Netherlee. Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 3 - Braidbar Playing Fields (Muirend)

At Braidbar, the remains of an Astroturf wicket can still be seen.

I took the above panorama vista photographs to display that there is still a potential for the import of a cricket ground at this location.

The adjacent photograph shows the Thornliebank 1st X1 in the summer of 1914.

For most of them, it was their last season. They never returned from the various foreign fields of conflict of the Great War. Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 4 - Former Belmont House School Playing Fields Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 4 - Former Belmont House School Playing Fields

The former Belmont House School playing fields are an excellent location.

The site was sold off by the school a number of years ago, however, whatever plans for building/development are in abeyance at this moment in time and little seems to be happening judging by the extent of the growth of the vegetation.

An Astroturf wicket, together with a steel-framed portacabin changing facility could be placed here on a temporary basis, i.e. on a short term lease of the land from the property developers that own the land.

The foundations of the cricket pavilion are still in place, and from my investigations in the surrounding undergrowth, water and electricity supplies appear to be still present and could be utilised if required.

This site provides the possibility of a short-term venue while another is being developed. Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

Venue 5 – Redundant Grass Area at Old Mearns Road/Waterfoot Road

I played cricket at this site nearly 30 years ago. It is not a sporting facility and never was. Enthusiasts that ran Eaglesham Cricket Club, seized an opportunity to have a grass wicket on a vacant lot and created a pitch here for a couple of seasons. You actually changed in a tent set up in someone’s garden (marked by the x), until the council stopped it.

Again, installation of an Astroturf wicket would be required and a temporary provision of a portacabin for the season would have to be sourced. Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction External Fixed Point Jack-Legs Plastisol or Textured Finishes Optional upgrade to steel pedestrian door Optional upgrade to uPVC double glazed windows Security packs available Mesh coverings or steel shutters for the windows Large range of colours Internal Sealed vinyl flooring Textured vinyl faced wipe clean plasterboard walls Insulated walls, ceiling & floor Fitted consumer unit Double power points Fluorescent strip lighting Electric convector heater Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction Importing/creation of a cricket club into East Renfrewshire Council local authority jurisdiction

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Reconstruction Plan 2011

2010 saw the WDCU introduce the most comprehensive Player Registration system in an ostensibly amateur with over 1700 players registered with 37 distinct clubs, a major project and considerable undertaking which was achieved successfully, thanks in no small measure to the time and application of Eric Young. The WDCU also contributed its 13th constituent member to the Scottish National Cricket League with East Kilbride joining the current representative clubs in an expanded SNCL next year.

In 2011 there exists the perfect opportunity for the WDCU to modernise setup and structure in order to facilitate the strengthening and progression of WDCU clubs in their pursuit of Whole Club Development and the ultimate aim of promoting to and surviving at the highest level possible, the SNCL. The new structure provides a genuine feeder system, a compact route for all clubs to find their correct playing level and is resilient and flexible enough to accommodate any prospective SNCL reorganisation in the future.

Progressive clubs are currently impeded in their bid for progression by the involvement of SNCL 2nd XIs in the league, and in turn, the SNCL reserve sides are handicapped by a separation of standards which impinges on the ability of SNCL reserve players to step up and compete in the SNCL arena with the higher levels of ability present and the differing rules which exist. A SNCL reserve league addresses these issues. Venue and fixture clashes are becoming a persistent problem and a reorganisation of the WDCU should enable an easing of such issues and room for manoeuvre while maintaining the aim and the intention of ensuring the WDCU is a Saturday only competition. The current plan for an SNCL split and the shortage of suitable playing facilities in the West are both likely to impact on any fixture list in 2011, if not confronted.

The new set-up consolidates the route for any eligible club to rise through the system and all clubs would be within three years of playing in the SNCL providing they develop the facilities and structure to meet the regulations of the SNCL. One example, is if a club such as Victoria, consistently successful in WDCU Division 3, but unable to progress higher due to ground issues, were to engage with in the maintenance and operation of the new grass square in development at Bellahouston Park. Therefore, the move to Championship and Premiership cricket would exist in a simple and straightforward meritocracy.

Within the major restructuring of the Saturday League there will be a requirement for a re-alignment of the WDCU Cup competitions to provide multiple competitions for all clubs at all levels and to ensure the integration of WDCU and its member SNCL clubs under the WDCU umbrella ensuring the strength of the union for years to come. The West League Cup expands in an interesting way as part of this development.

The Strathclyde League while continuing as an important development league for SNCL and WDCU clubs alike will also become a testing ground for new rules, regulations and technical requirements such as electronic compilation of statistics and team selections ensuring comprehensive implementation of the Player Registration scheme as part of a substantive reinforcement for Sunday cricket in general.

Premiership

Clubs meeting eligible criteria, grass pitches, sightscreens etc.

No two teams from the same Premiership club can be in the Premiership. Galloway Home and away fixtures. GHK Glasgow Accies GUSCC Helensburgh Hillhead Irvine Kilmarnock Prestwick St. Michaels Appendix A – Example Premiership Fixture List Championship

Clubs meeting criteria, grass pitches etc.

2nd XIs of Premiership Clubs ineligible for promotion. Championship No two teams from the same club can be Bute County in the Championship. Garscube GHK Strathclyde Home and away fixtures. Hughenden Kingholm Kirkstyle Motherwell St. Ninians Vale of Leven Appendix B – Example Premiership Fixture List Tom Kerr Roddy MacLeod Conference Conference

Balanced conferences drawn by Balanced conferences drawn by lot. lot. Winners play for Conference Winners play for Conference Trophy. Trophy. Eligible Conference winner Eligible Conference winner promoted to Championship. promoted to Championship. No two teams from the same No two teams from the same club can be in the same club can be in the same conference. conference. Tom Kerr Roddy MacLeod Conference Conference Active Life Club Ardrossan Alps Bees Ardencaple Hamilton Palace Cavaliers Inverclyde Gatehouse of Fleet Marress Hamilton Whiteinch ScotIndians Windyedge Victoria Appendix C – Example Conference Fixture List Appendix C – Example Conference Fixture List cont. WDCU SNCL Reserve League

All SNCL Second XIs.

Narrows the gap between 1st and 2nd XI cricket. WDCU SNCL 2011 Natural integration of SNCL's different rules. Reserve League

Ayr (Cambusdoon) All teams play each other once, then split along geographic lines to make 18 fixtures. Clydesdale (Titwood) Drumpellier (Langloan) Dumfries (Nunholm) Facilitates fixture integration with SNCL. East Kilbride (Torrance House) Ferguslie (Meikleriggs) Greenock (Glenpark) Kelburne (Whitehaugh) Poloc (Shawholm) Renfrew (Moorcroft) Uddingston (Bothwell) West of Scotland (Partick) Weirs (Albert Park) Western Cricket Academy Appendix D - Sample SNCL Reserve League Fixture List Appendix D - Sample SNCL Reserve League Fixture List cont.

There have been 42 SNCL clubs in total

WDCU •Aberdeenshire •Heriots FP Scottish •Arbroath United •Hillhead Counties 17 •Ayr •Kelburne •Carlton •Kelso •Greaves Clydesdale •Penicuik 8 •RH Corstorphine •Perthshire •Drumpellier •NVT Poloc •Dundee HSFP •MGM Prestwick Perthshire •APD Dumfries •Renfrew League •Dunfermline •SMRH •East Kilbride •Stenhousemuir 1 •Edinburgh •Stirling County Border •Edinburgh Accies •St Boswells League •Falkland •St Modans •Ferguslie •Stoneywood-Dyce 3 •Forfarshire •Strathmore •Freuchie •Uddingston •Glasgow Accies •Watsonians Strathmore •GHK •Weirs Union •Grange •West Lothian •Greenock •West of Scotland 2 ESCA 11 WDCU Scottish Border Counties Ayr League

Aberdeenshire Clydesdale Drumpellier Kelso Arbroath United Penicuik Dunfermline Dumfries St Boswells Forfarshire East Kilbride Perthshire Stirling County Ferguslie ESCA Strathmore Glasgow Accies West Lothian GHK Carlton RH Corstorphine Greenock Edinburgh Perthshire Hillhead Edinburgh Accies League Kelburne Falkland Freuchie St Modans Poloc Grange Prestwick Heriots FP Renfrew SMRH Strathmore Uddingston Stenhousemuir Union Watsonians Weirs Dundee HSFP West of Scotland Stoneywood-Dyce Of the 42 clubs that have been in the SNCL since inception, 10 are missing in the reconstructed format for 2011

WDCU Scottish Border Counties League Glasgow Accies Perthshire GHK Strathmore Kelso Hillhead St Boswells Prestwick

Perthshire League

ESCA St Modans 0

Strathmore Union

Dundee HSFP