Farsley get set for CricketForce

The sight of Yorkshire icon Raymond Illingworth tending to the Farsley CC wickets each morning during the cricket season speaks volumes about the pride and passion at the historic club.

And the news that the former England and Yorkshire captain will be involved in marshalling the troops of 200 Farsley volunteers during the NatWest CricketForce weekend says a lot about the club’s commitment to the cause.

Nigel Thornton, the club secretary, second XI captain and chief goader has been taken by surprise by the force of activity that has swept through the doomed timbers of the 1970s clubhouse, perched at the top of Red Lane.

“At the last meeting to discuss our plans, we had more than 50 people in attendance,” Thornton said.

“It has really captured everyone’s imagination. I keep telling everyone that this bus will only come up Red Lane once so we must all jump on it and see where it takes us.”

There has been NatWest CricketForce activity in previous years but nothing on the scale of 2008 where the job list includes replacing the 36-year flat ashvelt roof on the ‘tired’ old clubhouse with a new pitched tiled one, replacing windows, installing a new heating system and completing a mammoth list of ‘housekeeping’ jobs prior to the start of the season.

Organising the volunteers and procuring materials from local suppliers has been a full time job for Thornton, club chairman Ashley Metcalf, the former Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire opening batsman (who is also Illingworth’s son-in-law) plus half a dozen project managers.

All are driven by a pride in the club’s 144-year history and a need to leave a legacy that is worthy of the players who have graced its wickets over the years such as Brian Bolus, Phil Carrick, David Ripley, Stephen Rhodes, Tim Boon, Iain Sutcliffe, Craig White and Nathan Astle.

“We have a tradition of playing good cricket and we want to move that forward,” said Thornton.

“It would be nice to have the facilities to match so that we can attract more people to the club and nurture all the talent that we have here. We are especially keen to increase our girls section.”

They have had to submit a planning application for the roof to the local council and establish partnerships with a range of organisations from Leeds Building College – who they hope will supply some bricklaying and electrical expertise – to the local newspapers and television companies.

More than 50 letters were sent out to suppliers and each one followed up with a phone call, which has saved the club a significant portion of the £20,000 it was going to cost to replace the roof.

More letters have been written in an attempt to stage a reunion of all the past players and it is hoped they will be joined by England internationals and some of Yorkshire’s current crop of young cricketers.

Local dignitaries such as the Minister for Sport, who happens to be Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe will also be on hand over the NatWest CricketForce weekend of April 4-6 to support Farsley’s headline-grabbing endeavours.