Feethams Field Viewed before the cricket club arrived here. DARLINGTON CRICKET FEETHAMS FLYER ISSUE 27 DECEMBER 2011 CLUB In this issue the extract from the new history tells the story of the club up to 1992 from its formation in 1827. The history is now nearing completion and we hope you have been enjoying reading the snippets of the book in these winter issues of the newsletter. Information in this chapter has been used courtesy of Bob Hattersley from his original history of the club. Bob sadly passed away in 2010. Have a great Christmas. (cover photo – Darlington CC win the championship 1906) Newsletter provided by - dsm The Previous 165 years –1827-1992 My good friend, team mate and ex Geography teacher, Bob Hattersley’s brilliant history of the club covers the period 1827 to 1992 in it’s 200 pages. Months of research went into his publication which not only shows the history of the cricket club and it’s players but also provides and interesting insight into the social history of the town. Before Bob sadly passed away we had conversations about his book and he was delighted that the club were using extracts from it in their match day programmes. Before we look at the next chapter in the club’s history it is necessary to understand a little of the previous history as covered by Bob’s book. (limited numbers of copies are still available from the club) ———————————————————————————————————————————-- Darlington originated as an Anglo Saxon settlement on the western banks of the River Skerne. (the market place side of the river) It marked the southern limit to the Palatinate of Durham and became a market town by the 12th century. By the 18th and 19th centuries, entrepreneur families such as the Backhouse family and the Pease family had developed and financed woollen and worsted mills in the town and when the same families became involved in the development of rail transport the town also developed into a centre for railway engineering. The Duke of Cleveland’s XI (1751) provides the first recorded example of cricket being played in the area. (Raby Castle). Cricket is still played on the Raby Estate. The Duke of Cleveland’s land stretched all the way to Darlington and included dwellings in East Raby Street, Duke Street, Cleveland Avenue and Terrace were built on his land. Various challenge matches were held over the next 50 years or so until The Green Tree Field was used for cricket in the town. Skinnergate was the town’s back lane and the western most boundary of the town around the 1820’s. On Skinnergate (where Pizza Express now is) there was an Inn the Green Tree Inn, named after the giant Lime tree that grew in the street nearby. Behind the inn and extending to where Larchfield Street now stands was the original home of Darlington cricket club. The field had been used by The Duke of Cumberland’s army on its way north to battle the army of Bonnie Price Charlie in 1745 at the Battle of Culloden. The field was also used for theatre groups visiting the town, quoits and even the towns annual dog show. Eventually part of the field became the Quaker burial ground and the rest was built on. In 1827 Darlington's first recorded game took place in a field near Middleton Spa against Yarm. In 1837 the club moved to Park Street. This was an area which grew up on the eastern bank of the River Skerne during the industrial revolution. A “notorious place” in Victorian Darlington. Great poverty, dirt and disease was rife in this area of town. Indeed the average life expectancy of residents was 22. George Raper rented the field near Park street for the cricket club. Darlington archers also used the field. Matches in these days were arranged as a challenge. Darlington and Yarm often combined to challenge other towns as far afield as... from Sheffield to Edinburgh. Many challenges were played for a purse of money. By the 1840’s George Rope (the father of the club) was captain and the club had two teams. Swallow Catcher Gent was the first of many legendary wicket keepers at the club. He earned the name when in a game at Cockerton he dived to take a one handed catc h in his left hand before diving again to catch a swallow in his right! In 1848 22 of Darlington played The All England XI. Darlington won the three day game by 9 wickets. In 1861 the club appointed their first professional cricketer to tutor the players. In 1863 a rugby section joined the club and the following year William Smnith recorded the fist ever century for the club. In 1865 the club were given notice to quit their ground. Increased population meant the field would be used for back to back dwellings. A new ground had to be found. 1866/67 saw the club do a “Hambledon” and took the turf from Park street to their new ground. The new ground was just 200 yards south west of the old Park Street ground—Feethams was a ten acre two field site separated by a stell or stream. The Backhouse and Pease families bought tracts of land to the south and west of the town and built magnificent Victorian mansions overlooking parkland estates. Many remain to this day. Three overlooked Feethams. Southend (now Bannantynes Hotel), Beachwood and Polam (now a girls private school)others were Blackwell Grange (now a hotel) Elm Ridge (now a Methodist church) Hummersknott (now Carmel college), Mowden (now the dept, for Education and Science), West Lodge (DHSS), North Lodge (teachers centre), Woodlands and Pierremont. Mr Edmund Backhouse became the clubs first President in 1866-1880. A politician and financier he was born at Polam Hall. Regular pre league cricket was played at Feethams every Saturday from 1867. In 1873 the great Dr W.G. Grace played at Feethams for the United South of England eleven. Details of the game are well documented in Bob Hattersley’s book. Darlington ran out winners by 31 runs. From 1880 the ground was developed and more sports were introduced to Feethams. Harry Thompson was employed as the first grounds man, a pavilion was erected and new sports like athletics, a donkey derby, cycling, tennis and football all took place but the strangest had to be when the Iroquois native American Lacrosse team visited. 1887 saw the introduction of cup and league cricket. Darlington had spells in both the Darlington and District league and the Durham league before joining the North Yorkshire and South Durham league 4 years after its formation in 1896. As games were recorded properly records were being set up constantly during these early days of the NYSD league. By the turn of the century the playing strength of the club had increased. In 1901 the South Africans played at Feethams. Between the 1901 and the outbreak of the first world war Darlington Cricket Club became an opulent gentleman’s club patronised by wealthy Quaker entrepreneurs. The club underwent a full refurbishment during these years a new pavilion and clubhouse was built. The league was won in 1906. The photo on the front page is of Darlington winning the championship in 1906 WG Grace returned to Feethams in 1907 and a the Feethams cricket festival ran from 1908-1911. In 1913 Dick Healey was appointed captain of the club. He held this position until 1930.He began 75 year association with the club as a9 year old schoolboy. One of the leading amateur footballers of his age he made his debut for Darlington FC as a 17 year old. He also played for Sunderland, Bishop Auckland and Middlesbrough . He gained four amateur caps for England. It was as a cricketer though that he did the most for Darlington. He turned the clubs fortunes around and was the father of the club in the modern era. A member of the scholastic profession I had the pleasure of interviewing him as a 15 year old schoolboy for a school project. He was President of the club at the time and a brilliant person to chat with. Dick passed away in 1974 aged 85 . A friend of his said “ when you were with him he made you feel like you were his best friend” Richard Healey Batting Stats Season Innings NO HS Runs Ave 50's 100's Catches Stumpings 1908-32 270 41 109 6586 28.76 40 4 87 0 1922 saw the social club formed. Within 5 years the club had a balance of £781 at the bank. A two storey extension to the pavilion was added to the rear making the home dressing room considerably larger and allowing room for a second billiards table downstairs. The roaring twenties saw a revival of tennis to feethams and sports meets returned also.. The decade following the great war was the nest in the clubs history . 7 proud years saw the club win 14 trophies. The first team woin 7 championships in 10 yewars and the 2nds 7 in ten years. The firsts also won the Kerridge cup 3 times during that period and lost the final twice. Dick Healey's captaincy had a lot to do with the success. He instilled a spirit of loyalty and comradeship that permeated the who team. During the second world war many cricket fields fell silent. Darlington in close proximity to Catterick Garrison played host to some memorable armed forces games. In 1940 and 41 England players Lieut AW Carr, Major Herbert Sutcliffe, Capt Hedley Verity.