ANCESTRY OF SYDENHAM CRICKET CLUB AT PAPERS PAST BY FLAGON PARK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SECOND ADDINGTON CRICKET CLUB 1880-1895 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John HOPPER, the president of the Hagley Oakleaf a.k.a. Christchurch Cricket Club, resigned from that position at a special meeting held a week after the 1879 AGM. In 1880 he called a meeting to form the second Addington Cricket Club and moved the motion at that meeting that the club be formed. The motion was seconded by William Thomas BURLEY who about a month before had been re-elected as Secretary at the 1880 AGM of the Christchurch Cricket Club! Other people at the meeting to form Addington had also attended the Christchurch AGM. By 1880 the Sydenham Borough acquired from the government the relatively small market reserve of 5 acres on the margin of the borough, named as the Sydenham Recreation Reserve by the borough and these days known as Addington Park. The reserve was previously the site of the city abbatoir having been set aside for that purpose in 1869. The second Addington Cricket Club formed ready for the 1880-81 season gained the use of the reserve but wanted a more suitable ground, and by the following season had gained a ground from the Domain Board of the City Council at the Lower Ground in Hagley Park roughly opposite St Asaph Street, which we know these days as Hospital Corner. Due to the heavy expense of renting, establishing and then maintaining the ground over several seasons, Addington eventually took up an offer to make its home ground at Hagley Oval. Later on a season was spent at Lancaster Park and then it was back to Hagley Oval. The club colours adopted in 1882 were white with a black sash. In 1885 the club colours were changed to cardinal and old gold. The cardinal colour was later described as scarlet. The modern Sydenham club has in its archives a photo of Addington's side that went unbeaten during the 1881-82 season with John HOPPER as the captain. I have made good progress with most of the players in the photo and in future will present an article about them. In the following 1882-83 season the Addington eleven joined United, Midland and Lancaster Park in the Canterbury Cricket Association's brand new Senior Cup competition, but, sadly, were beaten up all season by the other far superior sides. Addington applied for a handicap of fifteen players the following season 1883-84 and with increasing experience against the top teams had its first taste of success in senior cricket when it beat the powerful Lancaster Park line-up which had won the inaugural Cup competition the season before. In 1884-85, still with the fifteen men handicap, the Addington XV won the Senior Cup. That was the last time a southern based side was to win the Senior Cup until the Sydenham & Addington United side performed the feat nineteen seasons later in 1903-04. Having won the Senior Cup Addington tried conclusions in the next two seasons with thirteen men but took beatings again and went back to fifteen men, then thirteen men again. After that they had a go with eleven men for some seasons then went back to the thirteen man handicap in 1892-93. For the 1893-94 and 1894-95 seasons Addington didn't even enter a team in seniors, dropping down to the Junior Grade instead. In 1894 Sydenham Park became available after the 14 acre ground was bought from the Canterbury Agricultural & Pastoral Association by the Government and the Sydenham Borough who stumped up half the money each. The brand new third Sydenham Cricket Club was formed in April 1895 and obtained consent from the Sydenham Borough Council to use Sydenham Park as its home base. John Allot CAYGILL formerly of the Hagley Oakleaf club and now of the Addington club was the councillor who moved that Sydenham's application be approved. The Rev Len ISITT, formerly in charge of the Sydenham Wesleyan club and who had subsequently been an officer of the Addington club, made the recommendation during the ensuing winter that the Sydenham and Addington clubs should combine to the benefit of both. The advantages of combined membership, Addington's former representation in the Senior Cup along with fifteen years experience as a club, and Sydenham's access to Sydenham Park must have made the merger a no-brainer. And so the Sydenham & Addington United club was formed, the new name being taken at the AGM on 31 August 1895. Sydenham's adopted colours were chocolate and white but the new club colours adopted by Sydenham & Addington United were those of Addington, scarlet and old gold. Of great interest in relation to club colours is that the Sydenham Rivals club, which had seven seasons on Sydenham Park and disbanded in 1905 only because of the start of district cricket, had cardinal and blue for its club colours. Do the words cardinal/scarlet, blue and old gold sound familiar? The start of the Sydenham & Addington United club, on Sydenham Park, was celebrated as the beginning of our modern Sydenham Cricket Club at the centenary of the latter in 1995. The items to follow are not all the items to be found at Papers Past regarding the Addington club, just a selection. Many are abridged but the reader can click on the links to see the full articles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi- bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18801004.2.10.6&srpos=173&e=-------100-CHP%2cTS- 101-byDA-on--0addington+cricket+club-- Star , Issue 3889, 4 October 1880, Page 2 CRICKET AT ADDINGTON. ALL persons interested in the formation of a Local Cricket Club, are requested to meet in the Church of England School-room, Addington, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7 o'clock p.m. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi- bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18801008.2.12&srpos=6&e=-------100-CHP%2cTS-1-byDA- on--2addington+cricket-- Star , Issue 3893, 8 October 1880, Page 3 CRICKET MEETING A meeting of those interested in the formation of a Cricket Club at Addington, was held on Wednesday evening when a good number of residents in the district who for a long time past have been desirous of establishing a cricket club, put in an appearance. On the motion of Mr Hopper, Mr Hepworth was voted to the chair. The Chairman briefly addressed the meeting on the necessity that existed for recreation for the large number of young men living in Addington, and thought it was high time that a cricket club was in existence in the district. Mr J. Hopper briefly stated what had already been done, and what the prospects of the proposed club were. He said the Sydenham Recreation Reserve was the best place for the club ground, and he thought there would be no difficulty in obtaining the consent of the Sydenham Borough Council for the use of the reserve. At the request of several young men in the neighbourhood he had taken the matter up, and he now had very great pleasure in moving that this meeting form itself into a cricket club. Mr Burly in seconding the resolution, referred to the necessity of such a club being formed, as owing to the very excessive charges made by the Association Clubs, it was impossible for a great many to join them, and the Association instead of furthering the interests of cricket was frustrating the purpose it was meant for, and merely upholding it for some select few. The motion was carried unanimously. About fifty of those present gave in their names as members, including several well known in cricket-circles. A number of rules were then submitted to the members, which received the approval of all present. It was decided that the club be named the Addington Cricket Club, the entrance fee to be 2s & 6d, annual subscription 7s 6d. The election of officers for the ensuing season resulted as follows:- President, Mr William White, jun.; Vice-Presidents,Messrs J. Hepworth and J. Booth; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr W. T Burly; Captain, Mr J. Hopper. Messrs A. E. Milford and J. Simpson were elected members of the General Committee, and Messrs J. Parker, B. Jackson, and C. Aird, were elected members of the Match Committee. It was resolved "That the opening match should be played on Saturday, Oct 16." A hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman and Mr Hopper brought the meeting to a close. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi- bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18801008.2.14&srpos=7&e=-------100-CHP%2cTS-1- byDA-on--2addington+cricket-- Press, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4, 8 October 1880, Page 2 Cricket Meeting At Addington. A meeting of those interested in the formation of a local cricket club was held on Wednesday evening, October 6th. Mr Hepworth was voted to the chair. Mr J. Hopper briefly placed before the meeting what had already been done, and what the prospects of the proposed club were. He spoke of the Sydenham recreation reserve as being the best place for the club ground, and thought there would be no difficulty in obtaining the consent of the Sydenham Borough Council for the use of the reserve. He had very great pleasure in moving that this meeting forms itself into a cricket club. Mr Burly, in seconding the resolution, referred to the necessity of such a club being formed, as owing to the very excessive charges made by the association clubs, it was impossible for a great many to join them, and that the association, instead of furthering the interests of cricket, was frustrating the purpose it was meant for, and merely upholding it for some select few.